Filtration is a key part of wine bottling. After all, wine is a living product that may still contain bacteria when it is about to be bottled. It is essential, therefore, that the wine be as sterile as possible when it is bottled or otherwise packaged, so as to ensure its quality and shelf life. Wine bottlers obviously want this filtration to be done in the most cost-effective way possible, without it altering the essence of what is ultimately a natural product. This is, however, easier said than done, as shown by the following case of a Belgian bottling plant.