Sommelier's Corner
 Cork
vs. Screwcap!
A very hot topic in the world of wine is the
choice of wine closure. We are all familiar with the traditional cork
found in most bottles of wine. New types of closures – synthetic cork
and stelvin (new type of screw cap) have recently hit the shelves at ANBL
stores.
The wine industry has seen numerous
technological advances over the past couple of years in the area of wine
closures. This phenomenon is creating a lot of questions in the wine world.
Lots of wines are being produced and consumed so these changes have a wide
reaching effect. It affects a lot of people including cork producers,
stelvin manufacturers, wine producers and distributors and ultimately you
the wine consumer. You deserve to know why these changes are occurring.
The old natural cork closure
The cork might seem not that
important in the vast world of wine. This type of closure has been
used for centuries.
Most people don’t even realize its important role in the wine we drink.
It keeps the quality of the wine intact and
protects it from the outside world of the bottle. The natural cork is
the door or the access to the liquid kept inside
the bottle. Extracting the cork from the bottle is and will always be
an important part of the wine enjoyment ritual.
For an extreme wine lover like me, this process is part
of the romance
involved in wine tasting.
Problems and changes!
The reality of today’s wine
world is that alternative types of closures are here to stay. What are
some of the key
drivers
behind this movement? Well, to be honest, it’s a question of
quality, freshness and integrity of the product. You
might be surprised to learn that 10 to 15 % of all wines using natural cork
are adversely affected by the cork. This
affects the quality of the wine. Problems like "corked" wine (bad
taste), leaking, corks breaking apart (dryness) or
oxidation are associated with the use of natural cork. Some believe
that on average one bottle per case of wine (case
of 12) is affected by a defective cork! The explosion in worldwide
demand for wine has also led to a shortage of natural
cork. The cork tree takes many years to develop and right now there is
not enough cork available.
Because of this
many wine producers have been forced to use alternatives to
natural cork.
Synthetic Corks
A fairly common new type of
closure is the synthetic this is reliable alternative to traditional cork.
At least the process
of opening the bottle stays the same. On the downside, I find this
type of cork harder to extract and replace in the
bottle. This type of cork has been known to break or damage
corkscrews. Also, it’s been proven that synthetic cork
is only good in the short term. It loses it’s elasticity after a
couple of years (2 to 3 years) letting oxygen get into the
bottle. This will lead to oxidation or premature aging of wine. A synthetic
cork is a good option for a young wine
meant to be enjoyed now. I do not recommend this type of closure for wine
that you plan to age.
The screwcaps options and its benefits
The stelvin or screw cap option seems to be a very
popular choice lately. There are various reasons why wine producers
are now using screw caps instead of natural corks. It is important to
realize that if traditional wine producers are changing
to this type of closure, they must be confident that it will not affect the
quality of the product in the bottle.
Some of the reasons include the following:
- The capsule being 100% sealed keeps the wine fresh
longer. This is excellent for crisp, fresh, fruity wines that
are made to be enjoyed young.
- The material used is neutral (does not impart any
flavours) and it’s been used successfully for decades in the
other beverages industry. Think about bottle water like Perrier,
you probably never had a bottle that had a bad taste.
- For people with allergies, the quantity of sulphite
needed (preservative and anti- oxidative agent) is reduced, as this
type of closure is airtight.
- Producers have noticed greater consistency from one
wine to another after couple of years of ageing.
- Another small benefit, the wines can be kept standing
up instead of on their side. This factor is beneficial for
retailers
and consumers if you have limited storing capacity.
Screw caps – good for what type of wines?
Most wines made to be consumed within 3 years of
the harvest can benefit from this type of closure. Many wines made
to be enjoyed young are/will be using this type of closure. Examples
include light white wines, aromatic wines and light
fruity wines - Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Chablis, Viognier, etc.
You might be wondering if the premium,
expensive age worthy wines, will eventually use alternatives closures in the
near
future. I don’t think that traditional regions like Bordeaux and
Burgundy will react fast (as usual), they will wait and see.
Although some new world wineries are thinking about it and some of their
everyday wines are now using it (the less
expensive ones). Only a few producers are marketing this type of
closure for age worthy wines. Most are testing the
waters to gauge consumer reaction to this type of closure on high end wines.
A professional’s opinion
I am a true wine lover and might be a little
conservative when it comes to radical changes in areas that are affecting my
appreciation of wine. To be honest, I don’t really feel like sending
the corkscrew into retirement but we all have to realize
that even an old traditional industry like the wine world is changing.
Wine makers are now leaving their ego aside and
using a combination of traditions and technology to help maintain the
integrity of their products. As a wine lover and
sommelier, theses changes are heartbreaking (more so the process of opening
the bottle) but are needed. From past
experience I was often disappointed by great wines that had a bad taste
because of a faulty cork. Fortunately, I can
detect these problems. Unfortunately, a lot of people can’t, and they
just assume that this "weird" unpleasant taste is
the actual taste of the product. Sometimes we have to live with the
changes hoping that it will increase or improve our
enjoyment of wines. Screw caps offer a different twist to the
traditional world of wine. I realize it’s not easy but be open
minded and give these types of alternatives a chance. It is important
to note that these changes are made with the
customer best interest in mind. I encourage you to be open minded and
remember different wines for different occasion
and different closures for different type of wines.
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