SCIENTIFIC PROOF

Qivino has been developed after many years of scientific research. The background is briefly summarised here.

In the food sector, it had been observed that the quality of foodstuffs is preserved better in a low-oxygen atmosphere than when they are vacuum-packed. This is known as MAP technology (Modified Atmosphere Packaging). In the wake of this observation, a great deal of research was done into the composition of the atmosphere that best protects various types of food. Our own investigations into the published literature revealed that this protective technique had hardly been developed for small volumes of wine and related products.

For three years, we did truly pioneering work to make good this omission. In addition to analytical research, we also turned to organoleptic research methods. In so doing, we examined the preservation capabilities of various mixtures of inert gases for a preservation period of one day to three weeks.

Figure 1: The samples used for these analyses are wines of average maturity. In wines with little maturity, a positive trend occurs to the right: the perfect preservation time is longer. In wines with a great deal of maturity, the reverse occurs, and the preservation period is slightly shortened.

Analytical research

The analytical part of the research was carried out by the LPAC laboratory at the Chemistry Department of the K.U.Leuven. Various inert gases in pure and mixed forms were applied to various types of wine: white and red, less and more mature.

Organoleptic research

The organoleptic panel had 17 members (12 male/5 female) from a variety of age groups. Around half (44%) had daily professional involvement with wine. The other half of the panel were trained tasters, mainly working for wine clubs.

Prior to the tasting, the panel were not given any information about the samples being offered. The testers compared the hue, bouquet and flavour of each of the samples tested with the characteristics of a newly opened reference sample of the same wine. 

Once the Qivino had finally been perfected, it was then further subjected to thorough analysis by wine scientists at the University of Bordeaux (Talence).

Conclusive results

A number of results and conclusions from the research had a direct impact on the development of today’s Qivino technology. It was discovered:

• what protective gas mixture performs best;
• at what level oxidisation is organoleptically discernible;
• that injection of the protective atmosphere and ejection of the atmosphere present  in the bottle must be done simultaneously;
• that the level of protection of the gases used is not correlated to their molecular mass, as is repeatedly maintained in the expert literature (see figure 2).

Figure 2

The organoleptic tests confirm the results from the studies carried out by D. Allen, A Case for Nobility, Winepress, pp. 6-7, September 1996.

Three years’ intensive scientific research has led to the design and achievement of the innovative and unique Qivino injection system.