What is Wine Oxidation? Color,
taste and aroma are the unique characteristics of every wine.
Once a 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 aer depleted.
How is Wine Oxidation
Measured?
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 nanometers. A higher reading indicates more
intense brown coloration. ETS Laboratories of Napa carried out sulphur
dioxide depletion testing to gauge the effect of Wine Shield over time.
Control bottles were emptied of half their contents and re-sealed with
the closure. Test bottles were emptied of half their contents and a Wine
Shield was then immediately inserted. As demonstrated in Graphs A and B
below, the ETS sulphur dioxide tests show a very significant difference
between the extent of oxidation with and without Wine Shield — from opening
the bottle to 7 days hence.
By Sensory Testing: As conducted by a highly respected Australian laboratory
with trained sensory experts, our results showed a significant advantage
in using Wine Shield up to 5 days from opening the wine bottle.
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