Why, with a cork, of course! Or not?

Natural corks have been the wine “closure of choice” for centuries. Today many wineries are turning to cork alternatives.  The reasons are varied and there’s no clear-cut answer as to what the best closure is, but in the end, it’s most likely consumer preference that will ultimately tell the tale.

Many blame the switch from natural corks to alternatives on the dreaded “TCA” aka “cork taint.”  Some think that alternative closures are more “environmentally friendly” or technologically sound.  But whether it’s the romance of the vine or simply the pomp and circumstance of opening a bottle of wine, for me there’s still something special about popping the cork. (To find out when and why corks became the top choice for wine bottles, check out our trivia question below.)

Regardless of your take on toppers, many winemakers today are using a variety of enclosures to keep our favorite elixir safe and sound until we are ready to enjoy it.  But do you know what considerations drive a winery to choose a zork over a cork?  Believe it or not, this is not a simple decision and certainly not one to be taken lightly.

According to the 2010 Closure Report issued by Wine Business Monthly in June, despite the increase in closure types, most wineries still prefer going al natural.  They also note that the use of technical corks is on the rise and screw caps are holding their own, but that the use of synthetic closures is declining.  There is also data (not part of the WBM report) that now indicates screw caps, synthetics and plastic alternatives are not as eco-friendly as once touted and also have their own set of side-effects.

If you’d like to learn more about the ins and outs of corks and closures, you won’t want to miss our June winemaking workshop:  Blooms and Bottles. Each month, our winemaking workshops feature a grape growing (viticulture) and winemaking (enology) session.  The topics coincide with what’s actually taking place in the vineyard and winery, and are designed to give you a fun, relaxed but yet informative approach to learning about wine and how it’s made.

Here’s what we have in store for you in June:

• In the vineyard we’ll take a look at the vineyards in bloom with their newly formed berries. Lowell, our viticulturist will talk about what is happening as the vines develop their fruit and what things growers and viticulturists to help them become the best that they can be!  You’ll also find out what petioles are, why we collect them, and get to gather a few so you can learn first-hand what petiole collection is all about.
• In the winery, it’s that time of year when winemakers are making packaging decisions so we’ll be talking about different bottle styles, why their used and on what types of wines go in them; as well as corks and cork alternatives and to top it all off…foils!  We’ll take a look at each of these things and decide for ourselves how (if at all) each of these things influence the wine that’s in them. We’ll have bottle samples compliments of Triology Glass & Packaging, and corks from Amorim Cork America.

As always, we’ll top off the afternoon with a wine tasting and some tasty treats.

What better way to spend a Saturday?  This would also make a great gift for Dad. The cost of the class is $55/pp or $44/pp for Crush Club members.  Don’t forget, Crush Club members receive 20% discounts on wine, workshops and gifts, as well as great discounts from our partners.

There’s still space available so give us a call and reserve your spot today!

History Uncorked

Thousands of years ago, Egyptians were the first to use cork as a stopper.  But it was a French monk named Dom Pérignon in the 1600s that shot corks to the top of the bottling line as a wine closure.

Traditionally, sparkling wine containers had been plugged by wooden stoppers wrapped in olive oil-soaked hemp. Much to Dom (and many others) dismay, these stoppers often popped out. He successfully swapped the conical plugs for cork stoppers and the rest, as they say, is history.

As the wine industry grew, demand for cork trickled into Catalonia, Spain (where much of the Spanish bubbly known as Cava is produced). The world's first cork stopper factory opened around 1750 in Anguine (Spain) marking the beginning of the industrial application of cork.

Cork stoppers arrived in Portugal around 1700, and were used about 70 years later in cylindrical bottles in Oporto. This allowed wine to mature slowly in a glass receptacle for the first time. The spread of mass-produced glass bottles with a uniform neck and opening helped to advance the acceptance of cork stoppers – not just for wine but a wide range of liquids.

Cork production boomed in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. By 1930, corks were keeping many people in Portugal busy. The cork production workforce increased fivefold, to a total of 10,000 workers making Portugal the world's leading cork producer, a position it holds to this day.