Private Preserve
Private Preserve
A wine, once opened and recorked, can remain in your fridge for one, maybe two days, but anything after that would cause a wine to rapidly expire and give way to oxidation - a process which sees discolouration and unappealing aromatic and flavour changes in a wine. A white wine, for example, will change from light yellow to amber, while red wine would typically develop a brownish rim. Both red and white oxidised wine will show volatile compounds on the nose and palate.
Table wines are not meant to withstand long periods of oxygen exposure, which is why it is best to finish your beverage once opened. This is unless you have Private Preserve, an aerosol can filled with argon gas which, by squirting into the neck of an opened bottle, preserves the leftover contents for "up to six months and should continue protecting them for even longer". Now, to be fair, no-one would want to keep an open bottle for six months, but wanting to preserve a bottle for a week is a reasonable objective. This we put to the test.
Two bottles of Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2005 was opened, poured to equal amounts and then recorked. One received treatment from the Private Preserve, the other left without. The two wines were re-tasted after seven days and the difference was remarkable. The control wine was evidently oxidised, whereas the one dosed with argon gas was still fresh with its initial aromatic structure intact.
The distributor of the product explains the contents of the can as "medicalgrade argon gas, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which forms a blanket on top of wine, Port, Sherry or any oils", a layer which ultimately protects the wine. Each aerosol tin will provide 120 preservations and retails for R170.00, or about R1.40 per preservation.
Visit www.winepreserve.co.za or phone 082 7756 110 for more info. The Private Preserve is also available from Caroline's Fine Wine Cellar at the V&A Waterfront (tel 021 425 5701) and Strand Street outlets (tel 021 419 8984).
Got a gizmo worthy of review? Email Jeanri- Tine van Zyl at jeanri@ramsaymedia.co.za.
