First off, hats off to Jeff for being the proud new recipient and owner of a Rabbit wine opener!
The jovial conversation at the beginning of Thursday's class inspired me to ponder about the differences between screw-top and corked wine. Is there actually a chemical or taste difference between wines that are corked vs. screw-off? Is the cork now simply a part of the premium wine-opening experience instead of a necessity as perhaps it once was.
This piece from NPR's "All Things Considered" details the answers, and more, to the questions stirring in the debate over wine corks vs. screw tops.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/02/259128689/cork-versus-screw-cap-dont-judge-a-wine-by-how-its-sealed
As the accompanying article points out, screw-off caps were first implemented in the 1950s, but were considered only appropriate for lower-end wines, or value buys. Only when wine makers in Australia and New Zealand relatively recently starting using screw-tops over corks did the movement become more mainstream. From a taste perspective, screw-tops are better suited for wines meant "to be drunk young." Corks are better suited for older wines that benefit from a very small amount of oxygen that tends to penetrate the bottle through the cork over time.
As we discussed in class, the art of uncorking a bottle of wine is part of the experience. Opening a bottle with a twist top isn't considered a premium experience; however, in my mind, consumers are becoming more used to this trend.
Interesting debate- I'm personally more of a fan of screw caps because 1) I can't taste the difference (I thought the $15 bottle of wine was the $100 bottle...oops); 2) It's easier to store unfinished bottles. Especially when I'm unsure of when I'll drink a bottle next, I prefer the longer preservation time of screw caps; and 3) It's a hassle to remember to bring a corkscrew along, or to even find it in my kitchen drawer. For me, convenience trumps tradition.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar thought when reading the posts about the rabbit versus traditional wine key. Part of the joy of wine is the ritual around it, and it is likely difficult for producers to know when they can get away with breaking that tradition. It seems to me that the stigma of screw-top is receding though, so the wine is now more free to speak for itself. It will be interesting to see what other aspects of tradition will be broken by modern innovation...
ReplyDeleteThe general consensus among wine experts is that there are differences in how wines age under screwcaps vs corks, but it makes little difference in the first few years.
ReplyDeleteThus agree fully that screwcaps make much more sense since more than 90% of wine are drunk within a year of bottling, are generally cheaper and something we have not yet discussed in class: They also protect from the phenomenon of wines being "corked" or spoilt!
However, many European wine producers whom my company imports into Singapore use corks for wines sold within Europe, and screwcaps for their export markets because more traditional markets simply don't like the idea of screwcaps!
I might be in the minority but I often seek out screw-top wine when I'm in the grocery store because of flexibility and ease of opening. It's always a bummer at a party when the opener is nowhere to be found and you want to drink the wine that you brought. Screw-top is also great for picnics/on the go drinking. I think there are potential merchandising opportunities in store to help people find screw-top wines faster.
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