Vinolok–University of Udine study: the closure is a key element in the evolution of wine

According to the five-year study conducted by Vinolok, in collaboration with the University of Udine, the choice of closure plays an important role in how a wine evolves in the bottle.

The study

The study stems from Vinolok’s commitment to investigating, through a scientific approach, the role of different closure systems in the evolution of wine. The research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Udine since May 2023, is designed to continue for at least five years.

To ensure the greatest possible reliability of the comparison, the wines were bottled under controlled conditions. The study combines independent tastings and analytical assessments, offering researchers a comprehensive perspective on the evolution of wine: not only what happens from an analytical point of view, but also how the wine changes and expresses itself in the glass over time.

The two types of wine analysed

The study follows the evolution of Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero over five years, comparing four different closure systems: Vinolok, screw cap, cork and technical closure. The aim is to analyse how the different solutions may influence the evolution of wine in the bottle over time.

At 36 months after bottling, the wines sealed with Vinolok demonstrated excellent sensory performance for both types. In Pinot Grigio, Vinolok helped preserve a balanced profile, characterised by high olfactory quality and pronounced pleasantness, with no evidence of oxidation or reduction. In Pinot Nero, it achieved significantly higher olfactory quality, while maintaining a good level of freshness and pleasantness.

For producers, these results confirm the importance of the choice of closure in the evolutionary journey of wine: after three years in the bottle, Vinolok demonstrated that it preserves a balanced and pleasant sensory profile in both white and red wines.

The comments

“This agreement represents an interesting opportunity to strengthen the University’s third mission and is an excellent example of how public and private institutions can develop solid cooperation in research,” explain Piergiorgio Comuzzo and Franco Battistutta, the project’s scientific leads at the University of Udine (Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Animal Sciences).

“The proof is in the glass, so the quality of the wine must ultimately be assessed through direct experience. In our research approach, it was essential to select the right partners and monitor every relevant parameter of the bottling process, so that the final comparison would be accurate and uncompromised,” says Edina Kiss, Vinolok’s technical project manager.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.