It is now possible to find out how the amount of O2 influences wine barrel aging and later in the bottle thanks to the barrels with controlled oxygenation
Study of the role of oxygen in the evolution of red wine colour under different ageing conditions in barrels and bottles
Rosario Sánchez-Gómez;Maria del Alamo-Sanza; Víctor Martínez-Martínez and Ignacio Nevares
The variation in the rate of oxygenation during ageing produces different wines.
Wines aged with high oxygenation rate showed greater avidity to consume oxygen.
Wine colour increase after air saturation is greater with barrel ageing time.
Air saturated wine stored for 35 days at 12 °C reproduces 4 months of bottle ageing.
Abstract
Wine
ageing in barrels is conditioned, among other factors, by the amount of
oxygen received during this process, which thus impacts its final
properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oxygen
on wine colour during ageing in barrels and bottles during different
times. The use of barrels with different and known rates of oxygenation
allows the effect of different oxygenation conditions throughout the
process in barrels and its later evolution in bottles. A simulation
process of ageing in bottles was used to study the impact of bottling in
wines after differing ageing periods in barrels. The study of winés
oxygen consumption capacity has been tied to colour modifications during
ageing in barrels and bottles. Wines aged in barrels with a high
oxygenation rate showed greater avidity to consume oxygen taking less
time to consume that available, which is reflected in a greater increase
in colour intensity.
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