The amount of protein alone does not predict haze formation. Data indicate that the total protein analysis does not correspond to protein instability. As mentioned earlier, protein stability related to clarity at the post-bottling stage of production is important for marketability. However, consumers will taste the wine afterwards, so the palate is important as well. Bentonite fining also produces large volumes of lees, which lead to loss of wine and waste materials to be managed.
Wineries can distill the alcohol content out of lees, but waste still needs to be handled.
In the past, this solid waste would go back into vineyard, as fertilizer. Now anything containing alcohol is considered a hazardous waste and needs to be specially disposed. There are significant costs involved in handling de-alcoholized solid wastes, as well. Finding alternative ways of removing unstable protein in wine therefore is of great value. They are promising materials for replacing bentonite in the fining process.