Cork vs Screw Cap
April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment
by Kelly Bartha-Excerpts from Stacy Slinkard’s “Screw Cap Closures on the Rise”
Screw caps often associated with cheap wines, have some perception hurdles to hop, but many winemakers in the U.S. and abroad are experimenting with them on select wines. New Zealand is leading the wine industry with over 25 wineries converting from cork to cap, with wineries in Australia, Spain, South Africa, South America, Canada, the U.S. and France all testing the capping trend as well. Currently, there are three ways to close a bottle of wine: natural cork, synthetic corks and screw caps.
Natural cork closures have a centuries-long heritage; however they allow for a bottle of wine to be “corked” as the saying goes. A “corked” bottle has a musty smell and taste that stems from TCA– a substance used to sanitize the natural cork prior to bottling. The result is flat, cardboard-like flavor devoid of fruit filled taste and aroma. It is estimated that about 5-10% of wines available on merchants’ shelves are “corked.” From an environmental angle, the cork is recyclable, biodegradable, low impact and comes from a sustainable crop of cork trees in Portugal. These forests not only provide cork trees that are harvested every 10 years then grow back, they also provide homes for rare and endangered animals such as the Iberian linx and the Imperial eagle.
Synthetic corks, derived from plastic, appeared to be a viable alternative to traditional corks. However, their track record has been tarnished due to their inability to keep oxidation at bay for any real length of time, significantly decreasing the shelf life of a wine and short changing the maturation process of select wines.
Screw caps provide the best seal for bottled wines and eliminate the “corked” and oxidation problems in one swoop. Many studies have been done (Hogue Cellars completed a 30-month study) comparing the natural, synthetic cork closures and the screw caps and findings suggest significant benefits in utilizing screw caps over the natural and synthetic corks closures. A small percentage of wines due to the lack of oxygen developed skunky, rotten egg flavor and aroma so seemingly nothing goes without its problems.
So is the wine industry going to completely do away with using corks as closures? That decision is being left completely up to the producer. French wineries will have quite a bit to ponder over as they mature their wines in cellars for long periods, not to mention having to break tradition of putting their corkscrews aside. Some types of wine need slow oxygenation to age and many producers remain strong in their position that oxygen is able to gradually seep through the cork and into the bottle, being the only way wine can mature. The argument screw cap producers have is the wine is aged by oxygen in the wine itself and the tiny amount air held between the cap and the wine. Bordeaux producers lay their wine down anywhere from 5 to 50 years and that’s a long time to test to see if screw caps were indeed successful.
The romance behind popping open the cork and enjoying a bottle of wine is undeniably the essence of cool, but you still have your choice. All in all, the move from cork to screw cap will progress just like the aging of a fine wine-all in good time.
What is Tannin?
April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment
It is the byproduct of stems and skins, which has a sensation that dries your tongue; similar to that of sucking on an aspirin or chewing on a teabag.
Tannin is crucially important to the complexity of a wine and how well it will age over time. High tannin wines tend to age best for long periods of time like those made from the Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo grapes. Wines that have a great deal of tannin in them when young often seem searing, creating a sensation of dryness in the mouth, causing it to pucker, which is not a pleasant experience. Over time, however, the tannin acts as a preservative and mellows, helping the wine to grow into its complexity and become truly exceptional. One thing that can help with wines that possess a high amount of tannin is to combine them with high-fat and protein foods. Milk fits this role ideally, helping to soften the sharp edges of the tannin. This is one reason so many people add milk to strong teas, which are also very high in tannin. Good cheeses or a hearty cream sauce can turn a wine that at first blush appears too tannic into the perfect pairing.
April Ladies Night: “Spring Fling”
April 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment
For all that attended the April 17th Ladies Night: Spring Fling event, thank you for making it a success! The sparkling wine flights were a great way to get into spring. Don’t forget about mom for Mother’s Day. We ship our wine and gift baskets nationwide. Thanks again everyone! (Please place your order by phone (773)296-2004 until the unveiling of the ‘new’ site next week!)
If you were unable to attend, plan on our next event on Friday, May 15th beginning at 7 p.m. This event is open to everyone (not just the ladies this time) and the theme: Gourmet Night…stay tuned!
