Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
Definition - What does Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) mean?
Polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP is a polymer (a molecular structure bonded together of synthetic organic materials as a resin or plastic) often used in the fining process of wine. Polyvinylpyrrolidone has the ability to bind with certain compounds of a wine which can contribute to the cloudy appearance and/or those compounds that contribute to premature aging of a wine.
WineFrog explains Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)
Polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP is used as a fining agent and stabilizer for mainly white wines. Another fining agent used for similar uses is Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone or PVPP is used for red wines. The agents are utilized following fermentation, and at times following some aging before the wine is bottled. It is added to the wine in recommended doses between 25 and 75 grams per hectoliter and mixed into the wine. It then works in suspension by attaching itself onto certain precipitates with an opposite charge. Following one to two hours, the PVP then falls to the bottom of the vessel where it can be filtered out.
