We are recently back from a trip to Santa Barbara, which is an absolutely lovely place to travel. We were fortunate to visit numerous vineyards and wineries and tasted some fabulous wines.
If you’d like to taste some fabulous wines, while improving your wine knowledge, join us for one of our classes. Our public schedule kicks off this month, with classes held on Saturdays and Sundays. As always, we are available for both personal and corporate private events as well.
We hope you have been enjoying Tracy’s NY Wine Shopping Examiner column on Examiner.com. If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to catch up with all of her articles online. Again, suggestions and ideas for articles are always welcome!
You can also catch Tracy’s latest Words of Winedom column, at Big Blend magazine, and/or hear her on Big Blend’s Eat, Drink & Be Merry radio show on Monday, May 11, 2009 at 7:10 PM (EST).
Drink wisely and well,
Tracy Ellen Kamens, Ed.D., DWS, CWE
CEO: Chief Education Officer
and
Jared Michael Skolnick
COO: Cork Opening Officer
CLOSURE DISCLOSURE: CORKED, CAPPED OR SCREWED?
As oxygen is wine’s Kryptonite, sealing a bottle of wine is important. Traditionally, cork, derived from the bark of cork trees, has been the method of choice for wine closures for centuries. However, recent failure rates for cork, reports of which range from 2-12%, are no longer deemed acceptable. The primary failure in question is that of cork taint, caused by a reaction of the Trichloranisole (TCA) bacteria with chlorine/chlorinated-compounds. This negative reaction begins on the surface of the cork and then spreads to the wine itself, rendering it undrinkable and smelling like my wet, moldy basement (or anyone’s wet, moldy basement for that matter). As alternatives, the wine industry has turned to screw caps and crown caps among other products. NB: Crown caps are used for sparkling wines, while screw caps are found on still wines.
While many people historically associate screw caps with less expensive wines, their use in fine wines is becoming more prevalent. Notably, as of 2006, 90% of all wine made in New Zealand is bottled under a screw cap or crown cap. Australia lags behind, but is still ahead of most countries with its screw cap adoption. In the U.S., consumers have been somewhat slower to demand alternate closures than their Southern hemisphere counterparts, but some of the higher end producers are beginning to make the switch.
The technology has evolved dramatically, especially over the last two years, making these closure choices near perfect. They seem to overcome issues of cork taint, oxidation (spoilage by contact with O2) and reduction (off-flavors from a lack of O2). However, they are not without their critics, with some attributing health-risks with these closures (not well proven or documented). APCOR (the trade organization representing the cork industry) ran its own campaign to laud the advances made in cork technology to address its (former) failures. In fact, a new cork, DIAM, has been launched, which is virtually taint-free, but, quite expensive. Synthetic corks avoid issues with cork taint, but are thought to add a plastic aroma to the wine and can be extremely difficult to remove. Given the pros and cons of the various solutions, it is likely that this debate will continue throughout this decade.
In the meantime, it is clear that both traditional and alternate closures have their place in the market. The merits of one or the other aside, nothing can substitute for proper storage of your wine in order to preserve their quality. Expose your wine to light, heat and/or vibrations and you will be screwed, regardless of the closure on the bottle!
Tasting Notes
Frédéric Mallo, Pinot Gris “Special Delivery”, 2006, Alsace, France, $17.00 – CORK
From a fifth-generation, family-owned estate in Alsace, their Pinot Grigio remains in the tank for a longer period of time (up to one year before bottling) than several other of its wines, giving it a fuller body. It has notes of ripe citrus and pear fruit with clean minerality and long length.
Geyser Peak Chardonnay 2007, Alexander Valley, CA, $14.00 – SCREW CAP
Under the leadership of winemaker Mick Schroeter, Geyser Peak produces expressive wines. With aromas of butter, oak, vanilla, and apple, this wine is dry with medium acidity and flavors of apple, vanilla, (well-integrated) oak, and a slight hint of spice.
Wild Rock Vin Gris 2007, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, $7.00 – SCREW CAP
Deep salmon in color, this rosé has pronounced aromas of ripe strawberry, raspberry, floral and a slight candied note, which persist on the palate with great depth of flavor and fruit concentration. Made from a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, it is medium bodied with long length.
Casa Santos Lima, Sousão, 2004, Estremadura, Portugal, $15.00 – CORK
Casa Santos Lima, located just north of Lisbon, is a relatively new winery, with its first wines produced in 1996. A porty nose of deep, dark berries gives way to a dry palate with good acidity, a full body, along with rich and ripe berry fruit and notes of chocolate/cocoa.
Errazuriz, Merlot, 2006, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, $10.00 – SCREW CAP
While only some vineyards of the Errazuriz estate are certified organic, owner Eduardo Chadwick has been adopting these principles throughout his vineyards. With notes of plums, cherries and oak, the 2006 Merlot is blend of 85% Merlot, 11% Carmenere and 4% Sangiovese, with 50% of the wine aged for six months in a combination of American and French oak.