Sealing and Storage Position Effects on Wine Evolution

Sealing system and bottle storage position effects on the evolution of white and red wines were analyzed. The sealing systems were natural‐cork stopper, colmated‐cork stopper, agglomerated‐cork stopper, polyurethane‐powdered‐cork (PPC) stopper, plastic stopper, and metal screw‐top. Chemical analysis and sensory analysis showed that wine is better preserved when the bottles are kept horizontally. The sealing systems that allowed the most suitable evolution were the natural‐cork stopper, the colmated‐cork stopper, and the PPC stopper. The agglomerated cork produced faster wine oxidation when the bottles were kept vertically. The plastic cork and the screw‐top allowed oxidation in the wine more quickly than the other systems.