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It seems a lot of companies are abandoning the cork, yes I know most corks are artificial now, and going with screw on tops
I just can't accept it. I guess I'm old school.
Maybe it's in my head but wines that I buy now that have a screw on top that used to have a cork just don't taste the same to me.
Anyone else?
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I don't like it, but I do understand why -- the rate of bad corks affecting the taste has apparently been going way up in recent years. I prefer the synthetic corks, but man, some of them are hard as rock and tough to get out!
There's a certain pleasant ritual to opening good wine, and unscrewing the cap isn't part of it.
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oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
i have no problem with it - many are artificial now anyway - also helps prevent a bad cork experience due to a bottle that was stored improperly by the local store
I imagine that big wineries like Gallo buy into the thinking. The higher end wines aren't afraid to spend more money on cork as the price goes up. Popping a cork is part of the wine drinking experience.
I imagine that big wineries like Gallo buy into the thinking. The higher end wines aren't afraid to spend more money on cork as the price goes up. Popping a cork is part of the wine drinking experience.
I think it is only a matter of time before you start seeing more and screwtops. New Zealand wineries have pretty much gone entirely to screw tops and Australian wineries often use screwtops instead of corks.
Plumpjack released a $145 Cab with a screwtop and it sold at a better pace than the release with a cork.
The connection between screwtops and quality is disappearing. And smaller, high end wineries probably have more to lose from having 3-7% of their wine going bad. Plus, their consumers are more sensitive to differences in quality. I bet more and more high end California wineries start switching over to screw tops in the next couple of years.
had two bottles of wine last night at dinner - one screwtop, one artificial cork - was far from cheap or poor quality - i'm with gizmo on this, the acceptability is changing and i wouldn't be shocked to see more high end wines go with screwtops
Real cork has a risk of mold and other problems, so maybe fine for the environment, but not always for the wine -- and the increased demand means that top-quality cork is getting more expensive.
Gizmo is right -- if I get a pricey bottle from an unfamiliar little winery and it's a little corky or off-taste, I am much less willing to try it again. Unfortunately, the small wineries still just making a name are the ones whose 'image' may be hurt most by not using cork.
I got a case of my favorite Chardonnay awhile back -- I had visited the vineyard and the winery in Israel, and was impressed with how extremely high-tech, carefully controlled, and finely calibrated the process was every step of the way. So after I got home, I ordered another case from one of the US distributors I'd used before. Due to warehouse storage or shipping, it turned out this time maybe half the bottles had some degree of cork-leakage, but because of the wrapping I didn't realize it for a couple weeks. It's still drinkable, but not up to par, and I sort of wish they had used screw-tops. Given how fussy and controlling vintners are about everything else they do, I'll be surprised if more and more don't move that direction.
__________________
oderint dum metuant (Latin for 'let them hate, so long as they fear').
Well, in truth I'm actually not a total hawk, but I'm not a dove either -- I'm more like an angry pigeon flying over the political arena after a really big meal. -Abba Gav
The value of Cork to the environment is many-fold. First, it is not produced from oil, so bonus points there. Most importantly, though, is the value of the cork orchards - the widely spaced trees conserve and preserve a habitat that is fast disapearing in the Mediterrian area, and one that is valuable for many species of birds and mammals.
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