WineShield Wine Preservation System????

So, assuming that the wine is saturated in anywhere from a few hours to a few days do we all agree that the Wine Shield might be a good option? Or are we still skeptical?

Tom,
On the surface of it, I would think the WineShield may have some efficacy in delaying the O2 uptake by the wine.
However, the outer edge of the Shield, the fringed/flappy part, doesn't form a particularly good seal against the bottle periphery.
So it may only slow the uptake/absorption by a factor of 2-3 perhaps (hey...I'm a LosAlamos guy....we make up definitive conclusions
with zero data).
I'm in the midst of taking data doing the experiment. Thus far, the evidence is inconclusive that the WineShield works. Gotta do the
statistics yet (which means I gotta go back & review Amerine&Roessler). But if there is some benefit to the WineShield, it seems pretty marginal
over just leaving the btl open/uncorked on the counter.
Report to follow in a few weeks.
Tom

Tom asked;
So...Victor. So what are the sensory characteristics of a wine that is fully saturated by O2?

Most of us probably drink wine that is “saturated” with O2. The action of pouring lets say 7 oz (200 mls which will be saturated at 2 mg of oxygen) from a 750 ml bottle into a 12 oz wine glass giving it two to three quick vigorous swirls, the 200 mls of wine is most likely saturated before we put the glass to our lips.

Salute

Tom (T) - from what I have read - mainly here - it seems that wine rapidly saturates with oxygen in the sense that you could not dissolve more. But what then happens is that the oxygen reacts with any SO2 additions (which is not damaging) and with the wine (when all the SO2 is used up, and IS damaging). These reactions happen over a longer time scale than the dissolving bit, and as the oxygen reacts it is taken out of solution, and then if there is oxygen available that will dissolve and react too, etc. The Wineshield should slow down the oxygen uptake to replace what has reacted over time, so in some circumstances it could help.

But whether it makes a difference depend on how long you are keeping the wine and how much sulphur it has. If it is high in sulphur and/or you only store the bottle for a short time it will not make a difference because it would be OK anyway. If it is low in sulphur and/or you keep the wine a long time it will not make a difference because the wine will be oxidised anyway. It is the inbetweeny cases where it might help.

Tom asked;
So...Victor. So what are the sensory characteristics of a wine that is fully saturated by O2?
Most of us probably drink wine that is “saturated” with O2. The action of pouring lets say 7 oz (200 mls which will be saturated at 2 mg of oxygen) from a 750 ml bottle into a 12 oz wine glass giving it two to three quick vigorous swirls, the 200 mls of wine is most likely saturated before we put the glass to our lips.
Salute

So.....what you are saying is that dissolved O2 has no sensory effect?? The only effect of the O2 is when it undergoes chemical
reactions in the wine and produces products that do have a sensory effect?
Tom

Some might find the following link interesting:

http://books.google.com/books?id=nzehk2 ... &q&f=false

Salute

I've set up an experiment challenging my usual method of preserving wine -- pour half a 750 into a 375 and hold it in the fridge.

As I've mentioned in the past, I've enjoyed drinking a case of the same wine over a period of a month or six weeks, duplicating what it would be to have a farm and drink only my own wine.

Technique: pour each of the 750s into 375s, cap each, and insert the WineShield into the 750s. Hold all 24 bottles in the downstair fridge until consumed.

I don't want to try a 375 and associate 750 side by side, but will alternate, the 375 one night, the associate 750 the next, and compare notes. I've done the case consumption protocol seven times in the past and was always interested in how variable the bottles were. This isn't scientific, of course, but it might make me change my current practice of saving half bottles.

One big advantage: it's much easier to slip the WineShield into the bottle than cleaning the half bottles in readiness for a future use.

One big disadvantage: it's less costly to reuse half bottles -- basically free.

So far, on days 3 and 4 after starting the experiment, all four glasses tasted about the same from the first bottle. Based on some of my past "experiments" -- the Raisin Race in Champagne, for example -- you can anticipate a pretty chart of results, without, perhaps, any enlightment.

Regards, Bob