>
> Heavy gasses do not settle out of a mixture of light and heavy gasses.
> Quite the contrary. At temperatures above absolute zero, molecular motion
> causes gases to mix automatically.
>
> Gases can help reduce wine oxidation, but they must be used with care.
> Please read what Clark Smith has to say about blanketing wine with gasses
> here http://www.vinovation.com/ArticleArgon2.htm

An interesting read Lum but in this section:

THE MYTH: Carbon dioxide blankets wine.

THE FACTS: Although substantially heavier than air (44 vs 29 MW),
the turbulence with which this gas is introduced into a headspace
through a 1/4" line results in substantially mixing. Dry ice works
much better, but sets up a worse problem: headspace CO2 dissolves
rapidly into wine, imploding the tank unless a vacuum relief valve
(almost always) invisibly allows air to be sucked in.

I find it curious that they say that the turbulence with which it is
introduced is a problem and then they go onto introduce their own
preference, argon, with out any problem. If argon can be introduced
slowly than so can carbon dioxide. However I can see their point on
it being dissolved back into the wine.

They do say that carbon dioxide is heavier than. Therefore it would
seem that carbon dioxide could be used to blanket the wine except for
the mentioned problem of having it dissolve back into the wine. This
would not be a problem in the case I am thinking of as it's right
after fermentation when the wine is full of CO2.

Thanks for posting the article.

Don