2008 Woodie Awards
Myths regarding wine rebuked
THE UNDERAGE CONNOISSEUR
Chris Cottrell
Issue date: 3/19/07 Section: Leisure
Since wine can be confusing and frustrating to some, it can be easy to simply savor the bits of information that one overhears. Sadly, the rumors that are passed around about wine have led to a plethora of wrong information. I have encountered many of these myths and assumptions and hopefully I will be able to correct some of these in the next few columns. This week I will specifically deal with corks.
I'm sure anyone who has shopped at a wine shop in the last few years has noticed wines that sport a screw top instead of a traditional cork. More often than not, when I recommend a bottle that has a screw top I usually hear in response, "really, a screw top, doesn't that mean it's cheap?" This is simply not true.
The reason why wine is corked is for its aging. The cork's natural pores allow just enough air to pass through the bottle to age a wine gracefully, without letting too much in to cause oxidation of the wine. It is one of the many great balancing acts of wine. However 98 percent of wine is not meant to be aged but to be drunk young. Only certain wines contain the balance and quality to be able to develop new flavors and aromas slowly over time. Not every wine can be like Diana Ross (come on, she looks great for 133 years old!).
There are several reasons why the wine industry has begun to embrace cork alternatives. One of the major reasons is money. If you haven't noticed, there are a lot less trees and less space to grow them in. The cost of cork has jumped, forcing wineries to pass that expense onto the consumer or cut their profits. You don't need a degree from the Zicklin School of Business to realize that the latter is not an option. Screw tops and other cork alternatives save the winery and thus the consumer money.
About 3 out of every 100 bottles of wine that have a cork will be "corked." It has nothing to do with the quality of the wine but is simply a flaw in the wine that is caused by the cork. Several different chemicals and compounds cause this and it is unavoidable when using corks. The smell of a corked wine is often associated with wet newspapers and funk. It strikes randomly and the only way to know if a wine is corked or not is to, ironically, uncork the bottle. This is the reason why, when you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant, they give you a small taste first to ensure that the wine is not corked or flawed. If it, send it back. Don't be shy, the cooks will chug it down at the end of the night to prove their man or womanhood. This is the only flaw I've ever discovered in an otherwise perfect thing.
I'm sure anyone who has shopped at a wine shop in the last few years has noticed wines that sport a screw top instead of a traditional cork. More often than not, when I recommend a bottle that has a screw top I usually hear in response, "really, a screw top, doesn't that mean it's cheap?" This is simply not true.
The reason why wine is corked is for its aging. The cork's natural pores allow just enough air to pass through the bottle to age a wine gracefully, without letting too much in to cause oxidation of the wine. It is one of the many great balancing acts of wine. However 98 percent of wine is not meant to be aged but to be drunk young. Only certain wines contain the balance and quality to be able to develop new flavors and aromas slowly over time. Not every wine can be like Diana Ross (come on, she looks great for 133 years old!).
There are several reasons why the wine industry has begun to embrace cork alternatives. One of the major reasons is money. If you haven't noticed, there are a lot less trees and less space to grow them in. The cost of cork has jumped, forcing wineries to pass that expense onto the consumer or cut their profits. You don't need a degree from the Zicklin School of Business to realize that the latter is not an option. Screw tops and other cork alternatives save the winery and thus the consumer money.
About 3 out of every 100 bottles of wine that have a cork will be "corked." It has nothing to do with the quality of the wine but is simply a flaw in the wine that is caused by the cork. Several different chemicals and compounds cause this and it is unavoidable when using corks. The smell of a corked wine is often associated with wet newspapers and funk. It strikes randomly and the only way to know if a wine is corked or not is to, ironically, uncork the bottle. This is the reason why, when you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant, they give you a small taste first to ensure that the wine is not corked or flawed. If it, send it back. Don't be shy, the cooks will chug it down at the end of the night to prove their man or womanhood. This is the only flaw I've ever discovered in an otherwise perfect thing.
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