Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ Page 1

Why Does a Wine's Flavor Change?

There are three primary factors that impact wine flavor - temperature, UV sunlight, and exposure to oxygen. We can fairly easily control the first two by keeping the wine in a cool and dark place. The more difficult factor to manage is exposure to oxygen. Oxygen is what causes wine flavor to change through a process known as oxidation. This is the same process that makes an apple turn brown or iron turn to rust. Wine exposed to air oxidizes and the flavor begins to degrade.

Why Do I need to Preserve My Open Bottle of Wine?

Preserve your wine to protect the wines taste, quality, and your money.By preserving wine, you can open whatever wine you want, whenever you want…because you don't have to worry of waste! Once you gain confidence by preserving better quality wines at home, you'll discover new ways to enjoy wine - better tasting wine, multiple bottles open at the same time, sharing varieties with friends, etc.

Does Using Silvadore Affect the Flavor of My Wine?

No, it does not! It's all about the science. By using only 100% food grade argon, Silvadore will not affect the flavor of the wine. Argon is an inert gas - a non-reactive, non-soluble "noble" gas that simply creates a protective layer on top of the wine without interacting with it at all.

This is an important difference between Silvadore - which only uses 100% argon - and other wine preservers that use a blend of gases, including less expensive mixes that can change the flavor of the wine.

Do the Popular Vacuum Style Wine Preservers Work as Well as Silvadore?

Vacuum wine preservers try to remove the air between the wine and the cork. However, vacuum methods are only able to remove a small fraction of the air in the space between the bottle top and the wine. Any air not extracted remains in the bottle. And, with oxygen remaining in the bottle, the oxidation process isn’t stopped.

An additional factor mentioned by wine experts is that vacuum devices are known to “pull out” the bouquet or the aromas in wine. Keep in mind that 70% of enjoying wine is from your nose (or smell). That is why we swirl the glass, to release the aromatics while tasting. Sometimes the term "flattening the wine” is used when describing the effects of using vacuum processes when preserving wine. See our article "Vacuum Pumps Suck - by Design and Poor Science" for more info...

Will Silvadore Wine Preserver Harm my Wine?

No. Silvadore is 100% food grade argon. Pure and naturally occurring - and as an inert gas – argon doesn’t penetrate or be soluble into the wine. It is totally harmless, tasteless, and odorless.

Can Silvadore preserve clean crafted wine?

Yes - Silvadore Wine Preserver only uses 100% food grade argon. Argon itself is a naturally occurring, odorless, tasteless, inert gas. It's in the air we breathe. And, because it is NOT soluble, it does not interact with or get absorbed in any way by the wine. That's why argon is the preferred wine preservation method by wineries and professionals.

What Makes Silvadore better than other wine preservation methods?

Using Silvadore is easy, reliable and cost effective. Being 100% argon, Silvadore is the same preservation technique recognized by the wine industry - including wineries and wine industry experts - as the best method to preserve wine. There are other effective argon based wine preservation devices, like a Coravin. However, the best method for you will have to consider price (including required refill cartridges), ease of use, and different situations (like preserving multiple bottles). See our article on different wine preservers that use argon and How Much it Costs to Preserve a Bottle of Wine.

Popular vacuum products attempt to remove the air between the wine and the cork. However, vacuum methods only remove a small fraction of the air in the space between the bottle top and the wine. Any air not extracted remains in the bottle. With oxygen remaining in the bottle, the oxidation process isn’t stopped. See our cheeky article on "Why Vacuum Preservers Suck..."

An additional factor mentioned by wine experts is that vacuum devices are known to “pull out” the bouquet or the aromas in wine. Keep in mind that 70% of enjoying wine is with your nose (or smell). That is why we swirl the glass, to release the aromatics while tasting. Sometimes the term "flattening the wine” is used when describing the effects of vacuum process when preserving wine.

Oxygen Scavengers are available, although the volume of oxygen extracted is a question mark and is not likely anywhere near 100%.

How Does Silvadore save open bottles of wine?

Science!! Silvadore uses 100% food grade argon gas - the best wine preservation method for home use. Argon is a colorless, tasteless, odorless heavy inert gas that exists in the air we breathe. It is an element (Ar), remember chemistry in high school? Argon is one of those inert nonreactive gases on the right-hand side of the periodic table.

Since Argon is “heavier” than oxygen, when you apply Silvadore into your open bottle of wine, the argon settles in the bottle, on top of the wine, creating a protective barrier between the surface of the wine and the oxygen in the bottle. This protective barrier prevents the wine from oxidizing, and the flavor from going bad. It's all about the Science of Argon and Wine!

Can Silvadore Preserve items other than wine?

Yes! Essentially any liquid that is in a container and prone to oxidizing. Cooking wines - which may only be used on infrequent occasions - are a good example.

Argon preservation also works well for high end spirits (i.e. single malt scotches) where the flavor and characteristics can be better maintained through preservation.

Silvadore is especially valuable for your higher end specialty cooking oils - such as special truffle, walnut or extra virgin olive oil. Keep your oils fresh by keeping them out of sunlight, in a cool space and preserved with Silvadore (remember: the 3 flavor impacts are temperature, UV sunlight and oxygen).

How Long Will Silvadore Preserve my Wine?

When properly applied, Silvadore Wine Preserver will keep wine fresh for at least two weeks, and typically much longer.

Can I use Silvadore on Olive Oil?

Yes! Silvadore Wine Preserver is effective in preserving all your higher end cooking oils, like extra virgin olive oil. Same process - spray two bursts into the olive oil container to stop the oil from oxidizing.

How Long does the Argon Last in the Can?

The argon in Silvadore does not age or expire. As long as you hear the "pfffft" sound when you press the trigger, the argon is available to preserve your wine.

What's the shelf life of Silvadore? I want to buy some early for holiday gifts

Silvadore does not expire. Generally, we recommend a shelf life of less than 2 years for retailers, to promote stock rotation. However, you can be confident in buying Silvadore early to stock up for your holiday (or any other occasion) gift giving.