When I first became active in oenology research in the early 1980s, the idea of using plastic vessels for wine production was regarded as totally inappropriate, although they were in use in smaller wineries. The plastic vessels at that time were made from thermosetting polymer resin mixed with fibreglass for reinforcement. If the solvents and initiators used in the thermosetting process were extracted into wine, they could lead to a distinct taint, robbing the wine of its quality.
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