Put A (Wine) Cork In It!

Deborah: Here are some facts to consider when discussing alternative wine closures. For starters, cork is one of the most environmentally sustainable products in the world. It is a truly renewable resource (cork oaks are never cut down to produce cork; it comes from the bark, which is harvested every 10 years) — unlike aluminum or plastic stoppers, both of which come from extracted resources with severe environmental consequences. Just look at the horrific spill of toxic sludge in Hungary to see where aluminum screw caps come from. The cork forests absorb millions of tons of greenhouse gases every year, provide habitat for endanagered species and defend against desertification. Environmentally, the case for cork is overwhelming.rnrnWith respect to taint, here are some more facts to think about.rnrnTaint is the most misunderstood and misreported issue in the wine world. Often based on anecdotes, the incidence of wine taint has been blamed almost exclusively on cork closures. But the hard evidence firmly demonstrates that cork taint is no longer a widespread problem. rnrnFirst, letu2019s define taint. The taint typically associated with wine corks is TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole). Itu2019s is a harmless but ubiquitous environmental compound that gives wine a musty flavor at very low concentrations. (parts per trillion)rnrnWhile TCA does come from cork, it also comes from sources such as contaminated winery or bottling equipment, airborne molds or chlorine-based compounds in wineries and cellars. A 2010 study scheduled for publication in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, for example, looks at how wine barrels may introduce TCA. (http://tiny.cc/9v5gz)rnrnWine can be spoiled for many reasons unrelated to cork or TCA. Oxidation, a common problem with plastic stoppers, can make wine smell like candy banana flavoring. Numerous bacteria and molds can also spoil wine by making it taste like everything from rancid butter to sauerkraut.rnrnBut when wine fails to meet expectations, the cork gets blamed. Indeed, a recent study of 3,000 wine drinkers found that one in 20 complained that their wine was u201ccorkedu201d when in fact it had come from a bottle with a screw-cap. (http://tiny.cc/39tov) rnrnThe habit of blaming cork may explain why estimates of TCA contamination based on anecdotal evidence range from 2 percent to 10 percent and above. But a large and growing amount of hard evidence concludes that the incidence of TCA has dropped precipitously in recent years and is commonly measured at less than 1 percent of wines sealed with real cork.rnrnIn 1999, before the introduction of numerous improvements to cork processing, wine chemist John Casey estimated the likely incidence of TCA at below 2 percent of all wines made in Australia. Casey based his analysis of the results of 19 studies involving over 35,000 wine samples. (John Casey, u2018Taint necessarily sou2019, Aust. Wine Industry Journal, Nov-Dec 1999, Vol 14 No 6, 49-56)rnrnrnIn 2002, a survey of 5,735 bottled wines conducted by the UK Wine and Spirit Association verified that only 0.6 percent had TCA contamination. (Wine Business Monthly; http://tiny.cc/8vk8h)rnrnrnIn a trial by Southcorp in Australia involving 150,000 corks over nine years, the overall incidence of different types of cork taint was just 1.84 percent. Of this, 1.5 percent was due to TCA. (Simpson, RF, DL Capone, BC Duncan and MA Sefton, u2018Incidence and nature of u201cfungal mustu201d taint in winecorksu2019, Aust. & NZ Wine Industry Journal, Jan-Feb 2005)rnrnrnChristian Butzke, Ph.D., one of the leading wine experts in the U.S. and a vocal critic of cork taint, stated: u201cTCA is no longer a major problem for the U.S. wine industry.u201d His findings at the Indy Wine Competition found cork taint to occur at levels at or below 1%. (May/June 2009 edition of Vineyard & Winery Management)rnrnrnIn a test of 500 bottles of wine, some of which included older vintages that would presumably have a higher incidence of TCA contamination, the French Wine Society found that four bottles u2013 or 0.8 percent u2013 were affected by TCA. The Society declared TCA a u201cnon-issue.u201d (December 2009; http://tiny.cc/1ntxc)rnrnrnInternationally renowned wine critic Robert Parker conducted a grenache tasting in late 2009 for almost 600 guests at Spainu2019s WineFuture. Less than 1 percent of the wine was affected by TCA. (Blog BCN; http://tiny.cc/d5md9)rnrnrnTCA levels are now 81% lower compared to levels found in 2001, according to the testing of more than 10 million corks by the Cork Quality Council. (CQC Audit Results, July 2010; http://tiny.cc/h6hqb)rnrnrnThe decrease in the incidence of TCA is largely due to improvements implemented by the cork industry. The industry has two complementary approaches used simultaneously for dealing with TCA. The first is to use quality control measures to prevent contaminated cork from being processed into closures. The second, which is the u201ccurative approach,u201d is to assume that TCA will be present and then to remove it. The results of the above studies indicate that these efforts have been a resounding success.rn

100% Cork- I agree with you about the enviornmental angle of alternative stopper use. rnrnMy attitude is that I want to protect myself when possible. I must have thrown $500 of wine down the drain last year. While you can return wine to the retailer if you buy a bottle today, it’s another matter when you have the wine for an extended period of time. We lay down wine for a few years.rnrnI am blessed/cursed with an acute palate- and I still taste and see way too many corked wines- at restaurants as well as trade shows…rnrnBut most important to me in the writing of this post is that any new comers to wine are shy to say that something doesnu2019t taste right. I want to assure readers that alternative closures do not mean inferior productsu2026and if they can feel that much more comfortable when ordering wine, this is a huge positive in my book.rnrnDollar Signs- there is no cork shortage…I agree cork is charming- but I’d rather feel more confident in the product when I open the bottle. A corked bottle of wine is a huge let down- especially when you’ve been saving a bottle for a special occasion.