The addition of a protein fining agent to must or wine causes flocculation. The formation of flocs, and their sedimentation over time, leads to clarification. Flocculation results from the interaction of the fining agent proteins with polyphenols in musts and wines. Polyphenols group together under
hydrophobic forces and are made unstable through attractive interactions with proteins. The flocs thus formed tend to grow, group together and precipitate. Their precipitation leads to the sedimentation of suspended particles and clarification of the wine.