Corks Are Obsolete
So let’s get creative with the old ones that are going to stop piling up in our homes. I’m a little worried about the future of the cork, especially after one of Portugal’s premier wine producers maddened the country by switching to screwcaps.
This attempted pants hanger unfortunately doesn’t work, the corks are to heavy, and when pants are added, it bows in the middle. I guess you could make it work with some sort of reinforcement but that seems like a lot of work.
If you’re in a Martha Stewart mood, make some place holders with your corks, or a bulletin board.
April 23rd, 2006 at 7:48 am
This is a wonderful blog. I happen to like it a lot. Yet…. I find the discussion on cork versus screw caps a bit overblown. On this blog and a lot of others. Here is my point of view:
“I just wonder why my American compatriots get so excited about corks versus screw caps. What’s the matter with you guys? America is supposed to be one of the view safe havens in this world where libertarians are allowed to speak openly! So let’s keep the discussion in that great libertarian spirit – let everyone do as they please. No boycott of Spanish wine, ok? This silly suggestion falls into the same category as Freedom Fries. If they want to use cork fine. If they want to use screw caps – fine too. Just remember a lot of wine is sold within Continental Europe. When it comes to food and wine we are very, very traditional here. Put yourself in a local vigneron’s shoes. Using screw caps might mess up his domestic market. I know, you want to be very progressive or do you all own stock in Crown Cork & Seal Inc?”
April 24th, 2006 at 8:16 am
Eve,
Thanks for your insightful comment. I understand the challenge faced by European Vigneron’s with traditionalism, but isn’t the metamorphosis that takes place in the glass and the industry something that what we love about wine? What would we be drinking if winemakers didn’t constantly strive to produce a better product? Change is good, and Quinta do Cotto is brave enough to put it’s neck out on the line to embrace change, that takes some guts, and we should salute their effort.
That said, perhaps the headline I choose is a little over the top, but how else am I supposed to sell subscriptions to this blog?
April 24th, 2006 at 9:02 am
I love corks! And my husband (Jathan) is well aware of that too. Yes, I know, they have their disadvantages, but like Eve said, they are traditional. To me, they are part of the wine drinking experience. I love to hear the “POP” when a bottle is being opened! It’s fun, it’s classic. Perhaps more and more wineries will switch to screw caps, and that’s okay too. (You won’t see me turn down a good glass of vino just because it came from a bottle with a screw cap!) But I think that for as long as I’m around, I will always like the good old cork. After all, some of the best things in life stem from traditional practices. Who wouldn’t prefer a pizza made in a wood burning oven as opposed to one made in an electric oven? But then again, maybe I’m just a traditional kind of girl!
April 24th, 2006 at 9:13 am
I agree, change is good. Life for our local vignerons in the Southern Cotes du Rhone region is very tough right now and change is essential. Many realize this and try to do their best and adapt, but this is a very traditional region, like many others in Europe. May be I am a bit too sensitive and combative when it comes to putting down European wine growers. But I realize that this was not your intention. As I said, I like to read your blog.
April 24th, 2006 at 9:16 am
The Mark Twain quote, “the reports of my death were premature,” could be applied to cork. No one knows the effects of screw tops or other artificial enclosures for long term aging. Accelerated tests are not the same as watching how a wine evolves under screwtop over a decade or more. For wines that will be consumed in the first year or two (90%+ of most wines consumed), screwtops are a great solution. But even persons who are in the wine industry, are not that sensitive to cork taint. I have had corked wines at restaurants by the glass, served from a bottle that was on the last glass before empty. Since I was the first to complain (in every single case) that means that every other person who had a glass from that bottle was o.k. with a corked wine. The waiters were unaware of the problem. Who would have thought that defending cork (in a way) would be an act of rebellion?
Love your blog. Keep up the good work.
April 24th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Well put Katie. You make a good point about traditionalism and the nostalgia that surrounds it. Sometimes, our experience is enhanced by the emotions evoked by tradition.
Eve,
You aren’t being to sensitive. Your feelings are important and it’s great to bounce ideas back and forth, it helps us all understand both sides of the issue.
I’m sure what we are going to see in the near future is more balance on both sides, traditionalists accepting the role that screwcaps or other alternative closures play, and screwcap endorsers who will stop putting down cork, pointing out TCA statistics, and sensationalized stories of cork taint.
April 24th, 2006 at 10:35 am
Via Email: Generally, I’m pro-screwtop, but a couple of trips to Portugal in the 90s make me overly sentimental about the cork plantations in the Alentejo. I’m kind of sad to see the Portuguese wines changing over…
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April 24th, 2006 at 11:05 am
Wine Rebel,
You’re so right. A friend opened a highly rated Cabernet for me and a few other wine lovers a while back and it turned into one of my first experiences with a corked wine, that wet cardboard smell was unmistakable. However, the owner of the bottle and others where quick to defend the wine, proclaiming it’s musty characteristics typical. I didn’t press the issue, but considered it a learning experience, especially with how people respond to wine that is tainted. I tasted a different bottle of the same wine later, and my suspicion was confirmed.
As I have said before, the cork will always be around, but, we are going to see alternatives sealing our bottles more and more.