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74 WINES&VINES December 2016 WINEMAKING WINE EAST T he enology group at The Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, Ohio, conducted a study to determine the oxygen status in Ohio commer- cial wines at bottling as well as the finished wines. The amount of oxygen in the headspace of bottles and the total package oxygen (the sum of dissolved oxygen and headspace oxygen) is discussed, as are analyses for sulfur dioxide and pH levels. Finally, the results and implications for the Ohio wine industry are reviewed. Description of the Ohio study For this study, 14 commercial wineries were selected from three different regions in Ohio. Four wineries were in the north, six in the central region and four in the south. The wineries varied in size, with seven in the small category of less than 10,000 gallons in production, four wineries in the medium range, be- tween 10,000 and 50,000 gallons, and three in the large cat- egory of more than 50,000 gallons. The table "Description and Bottling Operations of Wineries in Study" on page 75 describes the wineries and their bottling operations. Unraveling the Mystery of O 2 's Effect on Wine Aging A study of 14 wineries finds several need better control of the dissolved oxygen in their wines By J.F. Gallander, T.E. Steiner, P.L. Pierquet and L. R. Robbins Regardless of filler type and O 2 evacuation style, wineries can improve on oxygen levels at bottling. Part one of this series, "Oxygen Status at Bottling," which appeared in the November 2016 issue of Wines & Vines, briefly mentioned the potential benefits of oxygen but focused more on the negative aspects of excess oxygen absorption into wine. The previous article also reviewed the sources for oxygen entry into wine during vinification and bottling, when the presence of oxygen can have a critical influence on the fruitiness, freshness, color and flavor of both white and red wines. It is important for all winemakers to be aware of the crucial times when oxygen can negatively impact their wines.