Put a Cork in It!

Is a bottle of wine with a screw cap enclosure a lesser wine that one with a cork? What about synthetic corks? Are they as good as the real deal? What is a synthetic cork? Does it matter? Enclosures do matter. By the end of this post my hope is that you will be open (get it?) to trying them all!

Cork: Corks are made from tree bark; a species of oak trees known as cork trees. Mainly grown in Portugal and Spain, these trees can live over 150 years. The bark is very carefully peeled off into strips and dried over several weeks before being made into enclosures. Cork is the grand-daddy of wine bottle enclosures. Cork has sealed up both good and bad wine alike since wine was first fermented. It's the standard for bottling and is perceived to be the best way to store wine in a vessel. But is it?

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine only to get the first whiffs of a moldy newspaper, wet dog, damp cloth or damp basement? That, my friends, is cork taint, aka "corked" or "corky". This is a broad term for defining a wine that has undesirable characteristics, like the ones I mentioned. The taint can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening. Other factors like storage conditions and barrels can be the culprit but by and large corks are the offenders. This is chiefly caused by a chemical presence in the wine called TCA, a chemical compound description that is reserved only for the most hardcore oenophile. What you need to know is that corks don't cause this issue. By nature of being a cork (light and airy, expanding and contracting) it can allow these chemical compounds to pass through to spoil the wine. Cork taint can affect any wine, regardless of quality or price, so get to know what a wet dog smells like and prepare to get your sniff-on when opening a bottle.

Fact: If you get a "corked" bottle of wine in a restaurant, DO NOT grin and bear it. You paid for good wine. Tell your server and ask for a new bottle. The restaurant does not pay for the tainted bottle, the winery replaces it. The last thing a winery wants is a reputation for tainted wine and they are happy to keep you happy!

Synthetic Cork: These cork alternatives were designed to reduce the incidence of cork taint.

Synthetic corks are made from plastic compounds designed to look and "pop" like natural cork, but without the risk of TCA contamination. They do come with some disadvantages, though. It can be a job in itself just to get them out of the bottle because they don't have the same "give" as a real cork does. While this is not always the case, you will experience this at some point. They can allow harmful air in the bottle after time which will spoil the wine and they are not biodegradable so they will sit in a landfill for all of eternity.

In short, synthetic corks are the "Stepford wives" of enclosures. On the surface they look and act "natural" but there can be consequences to faking it. However, don't be dissuaded. You'll probably find them A-OK.

Screw-Cap: Long thought to be only for "skid row" wines, the screw cap gets a bad rap. Actually, a screw cap enclosure prevents cork taint and oxidation in wine and has a much lower failure rate than cork. It's also a lot easier to open – one less tool to bring along at a picnic! There is a perceived down side, however. Wines that need serious aging or one that you would keep for decades may not fare as well as one with a cork. This is due to the very slow induction of oxygen, via cork, that can allow these types of wine to "age" better. But really, how many bottles are you going to keep for 20 years?

Screw cap enclosures are making a surprising comeback and not just in inexpensive price tiers. Australia and New Zealand were the first to give screw caps a go with their higher quality wines. By 2004 New Zealand's entire production was under 70% screw cap enclosure and Australia is right behind them. On a trip to Oz's wine regions in 2010, I was hard-pressed to find a cork anywhere. Even the good stuff has a screw cap, and for good reason. Now, finally, the US has taken the leap with multiple-million case brands now under screw cap that is increasingly accepted by consumers. A trend I hope continues to grow.

I would encourage you to put a "twist" on your wine tasting! If it makes you feel better, make sure you make the "POP!" sound while you twist!

Merveilleux Mélange Blanc -Wonderful White Blends

As I've stated before, blend wines can be a great addition to your wine arsenal. They bring something very different to the table than single varietal wines can. A veritable smorgasbord for the senses!

I've covered the reds. Those luscious scene stealers often take the limelight from the white blends. But white blends are not to be ignored. They offer a myriad of flavors and mouth feel that single varietal whites only attempt. One reason for this is new and obscure white grape varietals are being showcased by large wine brands and small boutique wineries alike. Though fewer in number compared to their red cousins, when combined, these white varietals can hang with the best of reds. White blends are a bit more renegade than reds in that white blends don't have some of the restrictions that red blends do (i.e. Meritage red blend requires at least three Bordeaux varietals). So, winemakers tend to play around with white varietals, mixing, matching and creating great wines.

White Rhône Blends – These blends are gaining in popularity mostly because Rhône varietals are now more widely planted in grape growing regions, especially on California's Central Coast. While these varietals can stand on their own two feet, they are most-often blended together. You will find these very aromatic and fruit forward with descriptors such as stone fruits, apple, honey, pear and spice. The color is often darker than other white varietals.

Viognier (Vee-on-yay)

Rousanne (Roo-sahn)

Marsanne (Mar-sahn)

Grenache Blanc (Grin-ah-sh)

The floral varietals fall into a unique category. They ooze floral notes both in aromas and flavors. These wines don't hint around. They whack you over the head with sweet, honeysuckle, jasmine and citrus blossoms. You will sometimes find these varietals as stand-alone wines. More often, they are blended together and either made a little sweet (remember the RS – residual sugar content?) or very sweet as a dessert wine. Either way, prepare yourself for a sensory overload. Many of the "gateway" wines I've written about will have one or more of these varietals in them to enhance the sweet notes of the blend.

Malvasia Bianca (Maal-vay-sha) some pronounce this Maal-va-see-ya

Muscat Canelli aka Muscat Blanc – this one is currently EVERYWHERE – in the form of Moscato (mo-scah-toh) ; A light, floral, sweet white wine that is selling like hotcakes.

Orange Muscat. Sweet and floral, this grape also gives orange notes.

Muscats are thought to be one of the first varietals to be domesticated and made into wine and are grown all over the world, having several names for the same grape. There are also black muscat grape varieties that are just as sweet and floral as their white variety brethren.

White blends are my go-to when life gets boring. They are so very different from any other wine category and never disappoint. Look for them in retail stores and while they may be a bit hard to find at times, they are worth the hunt. Always try them at tasting rooms. They will offer a change-up from the other wines being poured that day.

Get out there and find yourself a white blend! Enjoy!