EuroCave carried out a scientific study on wine preservation to determine the efficacy of their Wine Art system. The study was carried out by Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin (Wine and Vine University Institute) of the University of Burgundy over a period of eight months, through a series of experiments to determine the effectiveness of EuroCave’s Wine Art appliance, which preserves wine in open bottles.
Wine drinking habits have changed over time, with people drinking less wine, but of better quality. Consequently, bottles remain open for longer, raising concerns about preserving the wine’s flavours. Several wine preservation appliances have been introduced into the market with the promise to preserve wine for very long periods but very often, are not based on scientific facts.
Once a wine bottle is opened, the exposure to oxygen causes the wine to oxidise and alter its original qualities. An unopened bottle contains negligible amounts of dissolved oxygen per litre of wine. When the bottle is opened, this delicate balance is disturbed with ambient oxygen coming into contact with the wine and setting off the irreversible process of wine oxidation.
Solutions are available to slow down the oxidation process when the bottle is opened. Two of these solutions include compressing the space at the top of the bottle by means of inert gas (argon and nitrogen), or establishing a vacuum in the space at the top (reduction in oxygen).
For the purpose of the study, researchers at the Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin in Dijon, supervised by Régis Gougeon, conducted experiments on the process used by EuroCave’s Wine Art appliance. These experiments confirmed that the wine ageing process was slowed down by controlled application of a vacuum in the space above the wine in the bottle, which reduces the oxidation process without changing the sensory profile (flavours) of the wine.
Régis Gougeon explained that the researchers also wanted to compare the effect of using different inert gases on the oxygen content that can be dissolved in the wine when preserving the wine by compressing the space at the top of the bottle. These experiments demonstrate the fact that nitrogen is as effective as argon and that the vacuum principle used by the Wine Art system allows the same results to be obtained without using inert gas.
Additionally, the effectiveness of the Wine Art system was confirmed by a panel of expert tasters who found no difference between bottles that had just been opened and identical bottles that had been opened, partially consumed and preserved by the Wine Art system for periods of up to 7 days. The panel of tasters also highlighted the fact that the Wine Art system more effectively retained the original tasting qualities of the wine in comparison with preservation systems using inert gas.
Image: EuroCave Wine Art system - Preserve 2 opened bottles of wine for up to 11 days
