Can a Sparkling Wine Get Oxidized While Corked?

[coryforsenate]

I'm curious about this because I can understand that a still wine could, over time and depending on the grade of cork used, oxidize due to the air exchange.

However, a sparkling wine would very slowly push air out of the bottle through the cork, thus before it could begin to oxidize it would first have to go flat.

How correct would y'all say say that is?

 

[Yooper]

I'm curious about this because I can understand that a still wine could, over time and depending on the grade of cork used, oxidize due to the air exchange.

However, a sparkling wine would very slowly push air out of the bottle through the cork, thus before it could begin to oxidize it would first have to go flat.

How correct would y'all say say that is?

If it's not corked with champagne caps and wires, it won't get oxidized. That's because the bottle will blow up or the cork would pop out as soon as it got a little carbonated.

A champagne cap isn't porous at all, so there wouldn't be any air exchange.

 

[coryforsenate]

Sorry, I should have made it clear that it would be caged since it's carbonated.

I ask because I'm exploring different options for bottling a Belgian beer and figured the wine people would know more about corking, oxidation, etc. I found some 24mm extra grade wine corks and am wanting to learn more about corks and oxidation before I decide what cork I'll use. It'll probably wind up being the standard agglomerated cork just because I know that works although I'm curious because while at the liquor store I found a Belgian style bottle with a synthetic cork in it, which I've never seen before.

 

[gregbathurst]

I'm curious about this because I can understand that a still wine could, over time and depending on the grade of cork used, oxidize due to the air exchange.

However, a sparkling wine would very slowly push air out of the bottle through the cork, thus before it could begin to oxidize it would first have to go flat.

How correct would y'all say say that is?

The interesting thing about air exchange is that even though you have an internal pressure of CO2, oxygen can move against the pressure gradient because of something to do with partial pressures. Because there is less oxygen inside than outside, oxygen can get into the bottle. Carbonated cider in PET bottles will still oxidise.

It depends also on the permeability, I would say champagne corks are less permeable than wine corks.