LET'S GET SOME closure.
Cork is harvested from the bark of a variety of oak tree, Quercus Suber L. The bark is usually harvested every nine years. More than 50 percent of the world's cork production comes from Portugal, where the soil and the climate enable the trees to live longer.
As a natural product, it is environmentally sound. The problem with cork is that it is subject to mold. This is caused by a chemical called TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole for you technical people out there).
TCA results from the reaction of natural mold in the bark combined with the chlorine used to sanitize the cork. Unfortunately it is impractical to detect this fault before bottling.
So, you may ask, what effect does this mold have on the wine?
Unfortunately there is a lot of bad information about the use of the term "corked." A corked wine isn't one that has a crumbly cork, or pieces of cork in the glass. "Corked" means that the mold has affected the cork and this affects the taste and smell of the wine.
I should add that this particular mold is invisible, so if you see mold on a cork, this is more than likely caused by seepage and is harmless.
So what's the solution? Therein lies the rub.
Many wineries have tried synthetic cork. Some are better than others, but one of the problems with synthetic cork appears to be a difficulty removing it from the bottle.
Australia has given us the Zork. It's a polyethylene cap and plunger, with welded aluminum foil to provide an oxygen barrier. So far, it appears effective, but the long-term effects
Then we have the Stelvin closure. Yes, it looks like a screw cap to the untrained eye. It looks like a screw cap to the trained eye, too! That's because it is a screw cap.
Industry reports claim that this type of closure is effective. Indeed, many fine wines are now being sealed with Stelvins.
The case has been made that this type of seal is only good for young, ready-to-drink wines. But there are some serious wines being tested with screw caps. Plumpjack leads the charge with 50 percent of their 1997 vintage being sealed with Stelvin closures.
The jury is out. Only time will tell.
Another problem with anything but cork closures is the image to the purchaser. Long associated with mass-market jug wines, screw-caps have a lot of work to do to win the public over.
And then there is the romantic image associated with cork removal. Somehow unscrewing that cap, or popping that Zork, just doesn't evoke the image one would expect during that romantic dinner for two.
And then there is the bigger issue. Perhaps the most important of all. "Put a Stelvin in it" just doesn't have the same ring to it!
SUZANNE GRUMKO, a London native, has worked in the wine industry for 15 years, currently with Total Wine in Central Park. She lives in Spotsylvania County with her husband, John, and seven children. She can be reached by e-mail at hippydotmom@ adelphia.net.