Wine Preservation - What is Wine Oxidation?

Colour, taste and aroma are the unique characteristics of every wine.

Once the bottle is opened, oxygen is introduced to the wine. Oxygen causes an irreversible reaction with wine components, and introduces classic wine deterioration symptoms, such as browning and aroma change. Wine contains antioxidants, such as sulphur dioxide and ascorbic acid, which are designed to react with oxygen and prevent deterioration of wine components. However, these materials are used up as oxygen contact continues, leaving the wine vulnerable to rapid deterioration when they are depleted.

Wine Preservation - How is Wine Oxidation measured?

1. By Chemical Analysis - Measurements of sulphur dioxide depletion and the formation of brown color are often used to evaluate oxidative change in wine. Brown color is measured as absorbance at a light wavelength of 420 nanometres. A higher reading indicates more intense brown colouration. ETS Laboratories carried out sulphur dioxide depletion testing to gauge the effect of the Wine Shield over time. Control bottles were emptied of half their contents and resealed with the closure. Test bottles were emptied to half their contents and a Wine Shield was then immediately inserted into these bottles. As demonstrated in Graphs A and B, the ETS sulphur dioxide tests showed a very significant difference between the extent of oxidation with and without Wine Shield from opening up to 7 days.

2. Sensory Testing by the highly respected Australian laboratory with trained sensory experts also showed a significant advantage in using the Wine Shield up to 5 days from opening.

 

Download the Wine Preservation Technical Whitepaper

To learn more, download the Technical Whitepaper in A4 size or Letter size.