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May 2016 WINES&VINES 47 PACKAGING (Ducruet and Bach, 2014) and about 50% of Australian wine (Baroni et al., 2013), is spreading due to its numerous advantages. It is light and practical, and the wine con- tained in the bag can be consumed gradually as the residual product is protected from contact with the air. It allows wines to be preserved better for short periods (a maxi- mum of two to three months), as observed by several authors. Depending on the type of BiB used, hu- midity, temperature and preservation times, there are calculation models (Ducruet J., Bach B., 2014) that predict the quantity of oxygen that will reach the wine; this allows for more accurate levels of SO 2 to be added, remembering that it is necessary to minimize contact of wine and oxygen during the pro- duction stages before packaging. Under op- timum conditions, the wines can be preserved for six months. Studies, research and experimentation Experiments carried out in Switzerland (Du- cruet et al., 2011) with Chasselas and Pinot Grigio white wines in 3-liter BiBs showed that this packaging is interesting for selling early drinking wines (to be consumed within two to three months, at most). In fact, their high permeability to gases does not protect wine from oxidation and, when preserved for more than three months, losses of CO 2 were observed; the color evolved toward intense yellow; oxidized notes were perceiv- able; the olfactory intensity and the floral and fruity notes were significantly less in- tense, as were the structure and length. It has been observed that it is necessary to minimize contact between wine and oxygen during the production and packaging phases; moreover, the product should undergo sterile filtration and have high levels of free SO 2 . Oxygen also reaches wine through the tap and the valve, as observed by Fu et al., (2009); furthermore, the film may absorb volatile compounds responsible for aroma. It is advis- able for BiBs to be stored in an environment free of foreign odors, at a temperature of 12°- 20° C with humidity between 20% and 50% to avoid damaging the cardboard. Hopfer et al., (2012) conducted a compari- son test between different types of containers used to package California Chardonnay pre- served for three months at different tempera- tures (10°, 20° and 40° C); it studied glass bottles with natural cork closures, screwcaps, synthetic corks and two types of BiB—one packaged in a controlled atmosphere, the other under normal conditions—in the pres- ence of oxygen. The temperature was the factor that most affected preservation, but an interaction between packaging and tempera- ture was also observed; the wines packaged in BiB and preserved at 40° C showed a more intense color, less fruity aromas and more oxidized notes and volatility than the samples in glass bottles. The volatile esters were lower, whereas some compounds typical of oxidized wines increased, such as 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihy- dronaphthalene, furfuryl ether. At 10° C, no significant differences were observed between the wines. The samples in BiB preserved at 20° C showed lower levels of ethanol and fruity aromas than those in glass. It was ob- served that the presence of oxygen at the moment of packaging in BiB did not produce any significant effects. At the end of the three months, the evolution of the wine in BiB was different from that in glass, both from a chem- ical and sensory point of view. Also in studies by Revi et al. (2013), sen- sory assessment showed that the quality of the wines in BiB was acceptable if consumed within three months of packaging, compared to six months for glass bottles. In this case, the experiment was carried out on a dry white wine from Crete produced with Vilana grapes, preserved in dark glass bottles and in two types of 5-liter BiB—one in low-den- sity polyethylene (LDPE) and the other in ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), preserved at 20° C for six months. As in previous experiments, a significant and consistent decrease in volatile compounds of wine aromas was observed, both due to absorption by the plastic material (especially the LDPE) and to the imperfect seal of the valve. The BiB sample in LDPE also had an aroma of plastic after 30 days. The wines in BiB packaging were described as slightly oxi- dized after 90 days and "unacceptable" after 180 days of preservation. E. Besseas (2014) carried out a study on 74 samples of wine from the Loire Valley pack- aged in BiB and collected from large retailers. The study showed that 80% of samples had been preserved for less than six months; within three months of packaging the level of BAG IN BOX AND WINE POUCH SUPPLIERS Company Phone Website Bag in Box Wine Pouch Black Forest Container Systems LLC (864) 282-2301 blackforestmktg.com 4 Fleetwood-Fibre Packaging & Graphics Inc. (626) 968-8503 fleetwood-fibre.com 4 FreeRun Winery Services (707) 395-0382 freerunservices.com 4 4 G3 Enterprises (800) 321-8747 g3enterprises.com 4 Heritage (925) 449-1148 heritagepaper.com 4 Kaufman Container (800) 824-4119 kaufmancontainer.com 4 PakSource Inc. (916) 446-9500 paksource.com 4 Prospero Equipment Corp. (914) 769-6252 prosperoequipment.com 4 Scholle Packaging (708) 562-7290 scholle.com 4 TORR Industries (530) 247-6909 torrindustries.com 4 4 TricorBraun (314) 569-3633 tricorbraun.com 4 4 TricorBraun WinePak (707) 399-5800 tricorbraunwinepak.com 4 4 For more information about the suppliers listed above, visit winesandvines.com/buyersguide or see Wines & Vines' 2016 Buyer's Guide. The bag part of a bag-in-box wine container is made from multi-layered flexible film. It is popular with consumers who want the option of drinking wines by the glass. The spout of bag-in-box wine packaging is a key element to keep oxygen out of residual wine after using the product for the first time.