Influence of Vibration on the Consumption of Oxygen and Sulfur Dioxide in Wine Bottles Considering Bottle Position and Headspace Volume

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of vibration, bottle position, and initial headspace volume on the oxygen (O₂) distribution inside a wine bottle. For this purpose, 0.75-L wine bottles were filled with a model wine and stored either horizontally or vertically under different vibration intensities (no vibration, 500 mm/sec², and 1000 mm/sec²) at a constant frequency of 50 Hz. The bottles were sealed with screwcap or cork closure, with two headspace volumes for each type of closure. Our results indicated that vibration and horizontal bottle position promoted the dissolution of O₂ from the headspace of the bottle into the wine, causing accelerated sulfur dioxide (SO₂) degradation. The effect of vibration was larger in the horizontally stored bottles, indicating that a larger wine surface area promotes O₂ uptake into the wine. In the absence of headspace O₂, vibration and bottle position showed no influence on SO₂-related O₂ degradation. Furthermore, the dissolution of O₂ was faster in bottles with cork closure than in those with screwcap closure due to overpressure caused by the corking process. We concluded that vibration and horizontal bottle position have major effects on the dissolution of O₂ from the headspace of the bottle into the wine, but not on the chemical reaction of the dissolved O₂ with SO₂. The larger surface area of wine contacting the headspace in the horizontally stored bottles and the overpressure created by the corking process accelerate O₂ uptake from the bottles’ headspace into the wine.