Wine on Tap is a

distribution method Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...

for

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. Instead of distributing via the bottle, wine is housed in stainless steel kegs or disposable one-way kegs. After the barreling stage, the wine is transferred into the kegs holding about 27 bottles of wine each (or 130 glasses) depending on the size of the keg (10 liters). It is pushed out of the keg by gases such as

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

argon Argon is a chemical element with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third-most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice as abu ...

or in case keykeg with compressed air, gas further providing a blanket over the wine and protecting it from

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

. This is not necessary with keykeg. Recent changes in the wine industry made it possible to tap wine from keykeg by a compressor or handpump. This means that no nitrogen or argon is needed. Wine on tap utilizes cost savings at all levels, from the manufacturer, retailer, and consumer. Traditionally, wine retailers have served wine by the glass by opening and resealing individual bottles. With wine on tap, bottle, cork, and carton costs are eliminated. Costs of waste from throwing away oxidized wine are also decreased and fresher unoxidized wine is delivered to the consumer. Transport costs are significantly reduced as well, as the same amount of wine weighs significantly more in bottles than in a keg. Further, the disposable one way kegs require even less transportation than steel kegs because they are disposable and recyclable. The aging process does not occur in the keg when the wine is blanketed with a gas such as nitrogen or argon to pressurize the keg. Wines not in need of significant aging times are best placed to be housed in kegs.

References

{{portal bar, Drink Wine packaging and storage