Wine transport and storage box

Abstract

 This invention is related to a wine transport and storage box which transports and stores wine in a favorable state while putrefaction thereof is suppressed.
The wine transport and storage box comprises a housing for accommodating one or a plurality of wine bottles, sealing means for accommodating and sealing the wine bottle therein while suppressing intrusion of putrefactive bacteria, a buffer material for protecting the wine bottle accommodated in the housing, and a cave environment enclosed space enclosing an environment in a cave in which the wine is stored. The buffer material creates an environment in which yeasts and microorganisms specific to a cave where the wine to be transported is stored can easily live and more faithfully reproduces the environment in the cave in the cave environment enclosed space.

Description

Technical Field Relating to the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a wine transport and storage box for transporting and storing wine while putrefaction of the wine is suppressed.

Description of Related Art

[0002] Transport boxes used for transporting wine include the one described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.2003-128049). This transport box can transport fragile items such as wine safely and easily by packing the item with a packaging box thereof. The transport box is made of cardboard and packs the item by wrapping the whole so that a head part of the bottle protrudes upward. There are other various transport boxes.

[0003] However, a quality of wine cannot be maintained easily by these kinds of transport boxes.

[0004] In the past, wines imported from foreign countries such as France were added with sulfur dioxide (SO₂). This type of wine was the same as those distributed in France and the like. That is, wines distributed in France and the like were imported as they were.

[0005] However, while the wine production regions such as France have continental climate with low humidity, Japan has a climate of high temperature and high humidity. Thus, many putrefactive bacteria not living in France and the like are considered to be present in Japan. Therefore, if such wine is imported, the putrefactive bacteria are considered to intrude between a cork and a bottle as soon as the wine arrives in Japan and to alter the quality of the wine.

[0006] At the earliest, a considerable quantity of putrefactive bacteria is considered to intrude into the wine in approximately one week after arrival in Japan. And in approximately one month, the alteration of the wine becomes intense, and aroma and tastes become obviously different from those of the original in some cases. Such wines become unsuitable for drinking in three to six months. The color turns to so-called terra-cotta color (the color similar to that of soy sauce) and the tastes change to dull flavor and taste as if soy sauce is mixed.

[0007] Such wine might cause headaches on the following day or give feelings of sluggishness or discomfort even after drinking a quantity of 1/3 to 1/2 of a bottle.

[0008] However, some wine academies teaching various types of knowledge on wine and sommeliers understand this change as maturation to a good state due to lack of knowledge on wine.

[0009] The present applicant has announced this situation on the homepage or the like, but in recent years, indication on the back of a wine bottle has changed from sulfur dioxide to sulfite. Corks of some wines imported and sold in a large quantity at convenience stores and the like have changed to screw caps into which microorganisms can intrude more easily, and sulfite is added because of that. Of course, wines added with sulfur dioxide as before are still distributed in France and other European countries at present, but wines added with sulfite are on the increase.

[0010] However, addition of sulfite to food products is not preferable since sulfite is toxic if taken in a large quantity and is considered to have even mutagenicity.

[0011] When the sulfite began to be added to wine as an additive, the sulfite was poured into the bottle by using a syringe at shipment of the wine matured in the bottle. In this case, the wine still had characteristic aroma and tastes of the respective production areas.

[0012] However, at present, sulfite is considered to be added to wine at time of bottling. Since sulfite has strong toxicity, if it is added to wine, microorganism groups contributing to maturation of wine are considered to become extinct or to be brought into the state close to that. Therefore, fermentation and maturation of wine are considered to stop at the time when sulfite is added to the wine.

[0013] Thus, distasteful bitterness, unnatural acidity as if piercing the tongue, dull and extremely uncomfortable tastes occur in the wine, and there is almost no aroma.

[0014] Contents of sulfite are different depending on the type of wine or bottles, but by drinking 1/3 of the bottle at the most to approximately 1/2 at the least, a discomfort feeling both in body and mind different from a hangover due to alcohol might be caused on the following day or the day following that. Moreover, headaches, slowness of thoughts and body movement and the like might also occur.

[0015] Therefore, it is preferable that wines not containing additives such as sulfite and the like are imported and distributed in the Japanese market.

[0016] However, the quality of additive-free wine not containing an antioxidant or the like alters due to putrefactive bacteria living in Japan as described above.

[0017] Thus, a wine transport and storage box that can transport and store wine while preventing intrusion of putrefactive bacteria into wine is desired.

[0018] The present invention was made in view of the above problems and has an object to provide a wine transport and storage box which can transport and store wine while suppressing putrefaction thereof.

Solution to problem

[0019] A wine transport and storage box according to the present invention is a wine transport and storage box which transports and stores wine while maintaining a favorable state and includes a housing for accommodating one or a plurality of wine bottles, sealing means for accommodating and sealing the wine bottle therein while suppressing intrusion of putrefactive bacteria, a buffer material for protecting the wine bottle accommodated in the housing, and a cave environment enclosed space enclosing an environment in a cave in which the wine is stored.

[0020] The buffer material is characterized by more faithful realization of the environment in the cave in the cave environment enclosed space by creating an environment in which yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave in which the wine to be transported is stored can easily live. The sealing means is characterized by a sealing film containing the wine bottle therein and accommodated in the housing or a sealing structure given to the housing itself.

[0021] By using the above configuration, wine can be transported and stored while putrefaction is suppressed.

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating a wine transport and storage box of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the wine transport and storage box of the present invention.

[0022] A wine transport and storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by referring to the attached drawings. The wine transport and storage box according to the present invention was realized by speculations of the applicant repeated through many years. The details will be described below.

First Embodiment

[0023] For over ten years, the applicant has been in search of a storage place or a storage method which can keep wine added only with sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or for example French wine, in a favorable state. The applicant actually stored wine in wine warehouses of three companies with different storage conditions, a mine of Oya tuff stone in Tochigi Prefecture and the like but all the attempts failed.

[0024] As a result, the applicant has reached a conclusion that putrefactive bacteria which alter the quality of wine are present everywhere in Japan and the intrusion of the putrefactive bacteria cannot be avoided unless a special measure for suppressing the intrusion of the putrefactive bacteria is taken.

[0025] Thus, the applicant thought of creating an environment in which zero or little putrefactive bacteria are present around wine as a special measure to suppress intrusion of the putrefactive bacteria. As a device for artificially creating such an environment, the applicant proposed a wine cellar (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.2004-347233), first. Specifically, the applicant proposed a wine cellar in which air sterilized by ultraviolet rays is circulated in a device.

[0026] After the wine imported with sufficient care against intrusion of the putrefactive bacteria was stored in this wine cellar for 6 years, the applicant tasted the wine with wine lovers, sommeliers, restaurant chefs and the like and found out that the state of the wine was extremely favorable. About 9 types of wine all tasted good, had strong aroma and rich taste with characteristics of the respective production areas retained sufficiently. All the members who tasted the wine gave compliments and no one complained of a headache or a hangover caused by additives. Seven members drank up ten bottles of wine with no discomfort on the following day. Thus, the tasters requested that such wine should be distributed to the public and should be easily obtainable as soon as possible.

[0027] From this fact, too, it is known that creation of an environment where zero or little putrefactive bacteria are present around wine is most desirable.

[0028] However, since it is believed that wine should be stored for a long time for maturation, wine cellars have been devised in many ways in general but no one has paid attention to a distribution process of wine. If putrefactive bacteria intrude in the distribution process of wine, the above-described wine cellar cannot be fully utilized.

[0029] According to experiences of the applicant, when imported wine was not accommodated in the above-described wine cellar within one week after arrival in Japan, microorganisms intruded into the wine, and alteration progressed even in the above-described wine cellar. A difference began to be found in taste, aroma and the like between the wine accommodated in the above-described wine cellar within one week and the wine accommodated in the above-described wine cellar after one week has passed around the second year after storage.

[0030] From this fact, it is known that the imported wine is preferably stored in an environment where zero or little putrefactive bacteria are present such as the above-described wine cellar at an early stage after arrival in Japan.

[0031] However, it is not possible to accommodate all the large quantity of wines imported to Japan in the above-described wine cellars and the like at an early stage (within one week).

[0032] A device such as the above-described wine cellar cannot be made too big in size. A device which can accommodate 500 wine bottles could be made at the most.

[0033] Moreover, imported wine needs to rest for at least approximately six months after arrival in Japan. Wine imported by ship for one month or more, for example, should rest for approximately six months to recover from alteration caused by rocking of the ship. Thus, it is difficult for the wine having arrived in Japan to be sold or stored in the above-described wine cellar at an early stage.

[0034] Therefore, a device which prevents putrefactive bacteria from intruding into wine during transportation, temporary storage or long-term storage of wine is required.

[0035] Since it was demonstrated through the experiences of the above-described wine cellar that wine can be kept in a favorable state by preventing intrusion of putrefactive bacteria from the outside, a wine transport and storage box was improved so as to prevent intrusion of putrefactive bacteria. Specifically, a wine transport and storage box was conceived in which the bottle of wine is wrapped and sealed by a film or the like which does not permeate air or microorganisms. This wine transport and storage box will be described on the basis of Fig. 1.

[0036] The wine transport and storage box 1 in Fig. 1 includes a housing 2, a sealing film 3, and a buffer material 4.

[0037] The housing 2 is a box for accommodating a wine bottle 5. A general cardboard box or the like can be used. After the wine bottles 5 are accommodated in this housing 2, a lid is placed. An inside dimension of the housing 2 is set in accordance with the number of bottles 5 to be accommodated. Specifically, the inside dimension of the housing 2 is the total dimension of a dimension of the bottle 5 to be accommodated (if accommodated in plural, the total dimension of the accommodated bottles) and a cave environment enclosed space 6, which will be described later.

[0038] In this embodiment, in order to accommodate three wine bottles 5, a height dimension of the housing 2 is a sum of a diameter of the bottle 5 and a thickness of the buffer material 4 arranged on top and bottom × 2. A longitudinal dimension of the housing 2 is the height dimension of the bottle 5. A lateral dimension of the housing 2 is a sum of the diameter of the bottle 5 × 3, the dimension of the cave environment enclosed space 6, and a play.

[0039] The sealing film 3 is sealing means in which the wine bottle 5 is contained and sealed so as to suppress intrusion of putrefactive bacteria. Specifically, the sealing film 3 is a bag-shaped film accommodated in the housing 2, in which three wine bottles 5 are contained. A dimension of the sealing film 3 is set in accordance with the inside dimension of the housing 2. That is, the height dimension of the sealing film 3 is set to a sum of the diameter of the bottle 5 and the thickness of the buffer material 4 arranged on top and bottom × 2. A longitudinal dimension of the sealing film 3 is set to the height dimension of the bottle 5. A lateral dimension of the sealing film 3 is set to a sum of diameter of the bottle 5 × 3 and the dimension of the cave environment enclosed space 6. Since it is only necessary that the sealing film 3 is accommodated in the housing 2 in a state where the three wine bottles 5 and two buffer materials 4 are contained inside and the cave environment enclosed space 6 is ensured, a dimension larger than the inside dimension of the housing 2 may be set for the sealing film 3.

[0040] The sealing film 3 may be bonded to the inside of the housing 2. As long as the inside of the housing 2 can be sealed, the housing 2 itself may be given the function of the sealing film 3. In this case, the inside of the housing 2 is sealed only by placing the lid so as to shut off air.

[0041] Moreover, the sealing film 3 may shut off everything including air or shut off only microorganisms. It is only necessary that yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave are taken in, intrusion of putrefactive bacteria and the like can be prevented, and oxygen in a sufficient quantity with which the yeasts and the like can actively serve can be supplied. If a film for suppressing the intrusion of putrefactive bacteria and allowing passage of oxygen is used, the capacity of the cave environment enclosed space 6, which will be described later, does not have to be so big.

[0042] Moreover, in the case of the sealing film 3 of a heating and sealing type, it is preferable that the material thereof does not generate gas when heated. If the material generates gas, it might affect the environment in the sealing film 3 or the environment in the cave.

[0043] The buffer material 4 is a member for protecting the three wine bottles 5 accommodated in the housing 2. This buffer material 4 is disposed each on an upper side face and a lower side face of the three juxtaposed bottles 5 so as to protect the bottles 5 from impact. The buffer material 4 is formed of an elastic material sheet having a size that covers the entirety of the three juxtaposed bottles 5. For the material of the buffer material 4, an existing material can be used.

[0044] The cave environment enclosed space 6 is a space for enclosing the environment in the cave containing air in the cave where the wine is stored. The cave environment enclosed space 6 is provided in the sealing film 3 by allowing for the dimension of the sealing film 3. When the wine bottles 5 are inserted into the sealing film 3, the air in the cave where the wine is stored is enclosed with the wine bottles 5 in the sealing film 3 by this cave environment enclosed space 6. This is for creating an environment equal to the environment of a storage place of the production area of the wine. In this embodiment, the cave environment enclosed space 6 is provided between the both sides of the three juxtaposed wine bottles 5 and the housing 2.

[0045] In the cave where the wine is stored, yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave are living and playing an essential and decisive role for fermentation and maturation of the wine. This is a phenomenon found also in Japan. In a soy sauce cellar, for example, yeasts of the cellar having lived for a hundred years or more in the cellar determine the taste of the soy sauce. Similarly to this, wine of each brand creates its own flavor not only by the type of grape but also by a joint work with the microorganisms in the cave.

[0046] Therefore, the best way to store wine in the best condition is to store the wine in the cave where it is stored. And if this is not possible due to transportation or the like, reproduction of the inside of the cave where the wine was stored is considered to be most preferable during the transportation or the like. Thus, the applicant considered it most preferable to seal the yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave with the air in the cave in a sealed container and to accommodate the wine bottles 5 therein.

[0047] In this case, considering that wine maturation progresses even during the transportation or the like, a given amount of oxygen is required for favorable fermentation and maturation. In order to specify the optimal amount of oxygen (air amount), the applicant examined documents and conducted experiments.

[0048] According to one theory, yeasts survive in the air of approximately several centimeters in the bottle 5, but this is not sufficient for favorable fermentation and maturation.

[0049] The applicant has tasted non-additive wine (non-additive wine to which even SO₂ is not added) sealed in the bottle 5 whose mouth is waxed. In this non-additive wine, 3 to 4 cm from the mouth of the bottle 5 is waxed so as to prevent microorganisms from intruding and to prevent inflow of outside air into the bottle 5.

[0050] However, favorable fermentation and maturation did not progress in this non-additive wine and it tasted like diluted grape juice. This is considered to be because actions of the yeasts stopped due to lack of oxygen and maturation did not progress.

[0051] Moreover, the applicant has tasted wine stored under the sea for five years in a case so as not to be immersed in sea water. This was intended for further purified taste. However, this wine tasted only slightly better than the above-described non-additive wine. There was a change as wine but far insufficient and a feeling of grape juice still remained and attractive taste inherent in wine could not be tasted. That is, multiply deep and long aroma and taste which are attractive features of wine were not present at all and it gave an impression of flat wine. This is also considered to be because oxygen was insufficient and the actions of yeasts became dull similarly to the above.

[0052] In these cases, a relationship between the actions of the yeasts and oxygen was not much considered, but it is known from these cases that a certain amount of oxygen is required to keep the actions of the yeasts favorable. If distribution of air is shut off by the film, oxygen is also shut off, thus the amount of oxygen that can keep the actions of the yeasts favorable is required.

[0053] This oxygen amount is varied depending on a period during which the wine is stored. Moreover, the amount is varied depending on various conditions such as the type of yeasts different at each cave, a quantity of yeasts required for maturation of wine and the like, but this oxygen amount can be specified by experiments. Specifically, the amount is varied depending on the period for storage (maturation through storage for 2 to 3 years or maturation through storage for 5 years, for example), the type of yeasts, an amount of yeasts living in the wine bottle 5 and the like. Therefore, a plurality of capacities is set for the cave environment enclosed space 6 in which the air in the cave where the wine is stored is enclosed, and actions of the yeasts are examined for each wine that is transported. The state of wine is checked every year, the state of the yeasts is examined, and the air amount in the cave required for storage for a period (2 to 3 years, 5 years) is calculated. As a result, a capacity L with which the actions of the yeasts are kept favorable till the end of the storage period is set as the cave environment enclosed space 6 of the wine transport and storage box 1 of that wine. Since the capacity of the cave environment enclosed space 6 is determined by the inside dimension of the housing 2, the dimension of the sealing film 3 (cave environment enclosed space 6) may be set larger than the inside dimension of the housing 2. For example, supposing that the height dimension of the inside of the housing 2 (diameter of the bottle 5) is h and the longitudinal dimension of the housing 2 (longitudinal dimension of the bottle 5) is j, L = h × j × x. Thus, the height dimension, the longitudinal dimension, and the lateral dimension of the cave environment enclosed space 6 are h, j, and x (= L/h × j), respectively. If the cave environment enclosed space 6 is provided on the both sides of the bottle 5, the lateral dimension is x/2 (= L/h × j × 2). If the cave environment enclosed space 6 is provided only on one side, it is x. If the sealing film 3 permeate oxygen, the dimension should be set such that a space required for keeping the environment in the cave (environment of the microorganisms and the like living in the cave) can be ensured so that the yeasts and the like in the wine can act favorably.

[0054] In the wine transport and storage box 1 configured as above, the three wine bottles 5 are first inserted into the sealing film 3 together with the buffer material 4 in the cave where the wine is stored. This sealing film 3 is then inserted into the housing 2. The order of insertion can be vice versa such that, after the sealing film 3 is inserted into the housing 2, the buffer material 4 and the three wine bottles 5 are inserted, then, another buffer material 4 is inserted and the sealing film 3 are sealed or it may be such that the buffer material 4 and the bottles 5 are first inserted into the sealing film 3 before this sealing film 3 is inserted into the housing 2. As a result, the air in the cave can be taken in with the yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave into the cave environment enclosed space 6 so as to reproduce the environment in the cave. Heat, an adhesive or the like is used for the sealing process. If the film is melted by heat for sealing, the process is preferably performed outside the cave since heat is generated.

[0055] The lower buffer material 4 as a cushion is located on the bottom of the housing 2, the three wine bottles 5 are located above it, and the buffer material 4 as a cushion is further stacked above the bottles 5 so as to reach the height of the housing 2. As a result, there is little play inside the housing 2, and the bottles 5 are reliably supported. The bottles 5 do not vibrate and the bottles 5 support the housing 2 through the buffer materials 4 so that the housing 2 is prevented from being crushed. The lid is placed in this state, and the box is imported to Japan.

[0056] After the wine is transported to Japan by using the wine transport and storage box 1, the wine is stored in a stable place at a temperature of approximately 10°C as soon as possible. The wine is stored in the above-described wine cellar if possible so that the wine can be stored in a favorable state for a considerable period.

[0057] Since wine can change in accordance with a change in a temperature though the degree of the change is varied, it is preferably transported by a reefer container kept approximately at 10°C and also stored approximately at 10°C after arrival in Japan.

[0058] Even if the temperature is kept constant, wine will be altered if putrefactive bacteria intrude into the bottle 5. Even in the reefer container, wine had been already altered when it arrived in Japan in the case of consolidated cargo, but this would not happen if the wine is transported by using the wine transport and storage box 1 of the present invention.

[0059] However, even in the case of wine stored as above, once the sealing film 3 is opened and the wine is exposed to the outside air, the wine starts altering in approximately one month. Thus, by transferring the wine into the above-described wine cellar after the seal is opened, the wine can be kept in a favorable state.

[0060] As described above, the quality of wine can be kept favorable. By using the above-described wine cellar along with the wine transport and storage box 1 of the present invention, tasty wine equal to those drunk in France and not added with sulfite can be supplied in a large quantity to Japan.

Second Embodiment

[0061] In this embodiment, the buffer material 4 in the above-described first embodiment is improved.

[0062] In the above-described first embodiment, the buffer material 4 is used as a buffer member for protecting the wine bottle 5 from impact, but in addition to this function as the buffer member, the buffer material may be given a function of protecting the environment in the cave environment enclosed space 6. Specifically, in order to reproduce the environment in the cave where the wine is stored more faithfully, the environment in which the yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave can easily live is made reproducible with the buffer material 4.

[0063] For example, the buffer material 4 is made of a material in which the yeasts and the like can easily live (natural materials such as wood debris and woodchips, porous materials and the like, for example) and stored in a cave for a certain period so that the yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave actually live therein.

[0064] As a result, the environment substantially the same as the environment in the cave where the wine had been stored can be created in the cave environment enclosed space 6, and a favorable maturation environment for wine can be kept even during transportation using the wine transport and storage box 1.

Variation

[0065] In each of the above-described embodiments, the three wine bottles 5 are accommodated in the housing 2, but the number of wine bottles to be accommodated may be 1, 2 or 4 or more. In this case, too, the same actions and effects as those in each of the above-described embodiments can be exerted.

[0066] In the above-described second embodiment, the buffer material 4 is given the function of protecting the environment in the cave environment enclosed space 6, but a member having a size approximately of a small desiccant inserted into a bag containing food and made of a material in which the yeasts and the like specific to the cave can easily live may be inserted into the sealing film 3 with the bottle 5. Alternatively, rocks constituting the ceiling or wall in the cave may be crushed to small pebbles and inserted into the sealing film 3 with the bottle 5.

[0067] In this case, too, the same actions and effects as those in each of the above-described embodiments can be exerted.

[0068] Moreover, in the above-described second embodiment, the yeasts and microorganisms specific to the cave are made to live in the buffer material 4 so that the air in the cave is enclosed in the cave environment enclosed space 6, but the volume of the cave environment enclosed space 6 may be made smaller by placing an oxygen generating agent (calcium peroxide agent) in the cave environment enclosed space 6 with this buffer material 4 so as to increase oxygen concentration.

[0069] In this case, too, the same actions and effects as those in each of the above-described embodiments can be exerted.

[0070] In each of the above-described embodiments, the sealing film 3 is used as the sealing means, but it may be a sealing structure provided in the housing 2 itself. Airtightness may be given to the housing 2 itself by means for increasing sealing performance or the like by bonding the sealing film 3 to the inner wall of the housing 2, or by forming the housing 2 using an impermeable plate material, a seal material or the like.

[0071] In this case, too, the same actions and effects as those in each of the above-described embodiments can be exerted.

Claims

1. A wine transport and storage box which transports and stores wine while maintaining a favorable state, comprising:

a housing for accommodating one or a plurality of wine bottles;

sealing means for accommodating and sealing the wine bottle therein while suppressing intrusion of putrefactive bacteria;

a buffer material for protecting the wine bottle accommodated in the housing; and

a cave environment enclosed space enclosing an environment in a cave in which the wine is stored.

2. The wine transport and storage box according to claim 1, wherein
the buffer material creates an environment in which yeasts and microorganisms specific to a cave where wine to be transported is stored can easily live and more faithfully reproduces the environment in the cave in the cave environment enclosed space.

3. The wine transport and storage box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the sealing means is a sealing film in which the wine bottle is inserted therein and which is contained in the housing, or a sealing structure given to the housing itself.

Drawing