Corks and closures: sealing the deal


Debates on wine closures can largely be the result of initial reactions to the appearance of innovations or a sentimental attachment to their fore-runner. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to consider the various merits of different closures and also their down sides.

Corks

Clearly, the traditional means of closure has been well represented for centuries. Portugal produces almost 50% of the world’s cork, much of which finds its way into the neck of wine bottles. Cork trees live for around 200 years and can be stripped about every 9 years. They are widely praised as being a positive crop with benefits for the surrounding environment and wildlife. Similarly, they are recognised as the most environmentally friendly method of closure, as cork itself is inherently sustainable and easily recyclable.

French growers started using corks at some point in the mid seventeenth century, replacing the previous reliance on oiled rags (amongst other wild and wacky methods) as stoppers. Corks provide the best means for ageing red wines with a limited oxygen transfer encouraging long-term changes in the wine. The use of corks by prestigious and long-standing names in the French wine industry has played into the perception of cork as the superior closure and the only means for sealing premium wine.

Corks are not without their problems, however. One of the most common complaints about wine is that it is ‘corked’. This occurs when natural cork develops high levels of a chemical called TCA. This chemical causes unpleasant changes in the wine which can vary in their intensity. You should note that wine is not corked if it has bits of cork in it! Rather, wine will smell somewhat fungal or foxy and the palate will be muted but bitter. This natural fault occurs in something like 5% of bottles and is an unavoidable result of using natural materials. Nevertheless, intrepid scientists are working on means of conditioning cork to contain less TCA and halt the production of it in later years. The only real way to avoid such corked wine is to use an alternative closure, as described below.

Synthetic Corks

These tend to be made from plastics and often appear on cheaper bottles ready to eschew a screw-cap but not willing to invest in cork as a more expensive option. Clearly these offer little in the way of ageing potential as they aren’t especially malleable and don’t allow for air transfer. This will be perfectly obvious to anyone who’s ever tried to force one back into a bottle once it’s been opened. As these don’t mould the way corks do, you may find a sharp knife called into action to help you whittle a narrower end to force into the neck (or brute force)!

Screw Caps/ Stelvin closures

Although these closures endured something of a tumultuous introduction, they’ve quietly become the standard for a whole slew of wines. Basically, anything designed to be drunk young is perfect for a screw-cap. Although they predominate atop whites, some red producers are using them to seal wines designed for immediate consumption.

There is debate as to their use in bottle-ageing. They can help some bottles lie for up to 10 years, after which the interior can become brittle and fail. They certainly keep out more oxygen than traditional corks and this can help preserve the integrity of the wine.

The problem can come with gift-giving – I personally don’t like to give screw cap bottles as presents to friends. It’s irrational and fairly silly but it remains a misgiving which affects my purchasing decisions. Perhaps it’s an air of tradition which comes with cork which I want to see repeated in gifts. Personally, I’m more than happy to buy screw caps for my own consumption or for serving at my house, it’s just a bizarre prejudice that stops me buying them as gifts. Clearly they’re the equal of corks, although the problem remains one of image,

Zorks/Crown-caps/Vino-seals/Other things I’ve heard of but never actually seen

Zorks are apparently and Australian invention which, according to the publicity, ‘seal like a screw-cap and pop like a cork’. I have never seen one and feel in no way qualified to comment on it as a result. I’m dubious whether I ever will, though. I’ll keep my eye out at the London Wine Fair this year.

Crown-caps bring the worlds of wine and beer a little closer together. Although they are used at certain stages of the sparkling wine-making process, they are generally removed before shipping. Some wine-makers are now shipping their produce with a variety of this crown-closure which allows it to be sold as is. From what I can gather, these appear to be something like the caps that appeared on large bottles of Grolsch for a while and also adorn Tuborg bottles. Imagine a cross between a pull tab (like on a soft drink can) and a traditional bottle-cap. They’re intended for low-end sparkling wines, ensuring a perfect seal cheaply whilst still giving the satisfaction of a pop.

Vino-seals are not a water-dwelling mammal with a penchant for distilled grape juice. They are in fact something more akin to a traditional bottle-stopper (as you might employ at home). They are seemingly made of glass, which makes for a high unit price and helps to explain their scarcity.

It’s interesting that so many of these alternate closure methods seem designed to imitate the cork in some way. They are all valid options with their own attributes yet the endurance of cork is a signal of its trusted reputation. Likewise, it can serve as a mark of quality to the consumer, a fact recognised by the Spanish government when they banned the use of alternatives closures in 11 of its appellations. Screw-tops, however, have a definite role to play in the wine world, both in terms of convenience and economy. When it comes to sealing the deal, I’ll take whatever works!

3 Comments

andrew, April 19th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Winemaking

Shelter from the Storm: Wine investment bucks trends


On the back of this year’s successes with en primeur Bordeaux, investment in wine looks to have been a canny haven for cash during troubled times. Two Swiss economists have conducted a long term study which has tracked an index of leading wines against the stock market over recent years. Philippe Masset and Professor Jean-Philippe Weisskopf of Freiburg University limited their study between 1996 and 2009, with an update to the initial report made just last month in March 2010.

Over the course, their study takes in both boom and bust. Whilst charting both the dotcom crash of the early 2000s and the recent banking crisis, their study also includes the booms preceding both bubbles. The results are fairly clear, with a prudent portfolio of wines (based largely around top Bordeaux Chateaux) investors performed far better than their peers in the conventional stock market.

To quote their report:

“Our results show that since 1996, the General Wine Index and particularly first growths wines from top vintages have performed better than equities while showing a lower volatility.”

Some investment is seen to be driven by Chinese capital, with the acquisition of less conventional assets such as wine an important status symbol as well as a prudent investment.

Their report also highlights the importance of diversifying assets during times of economic difficulty, lessening exposure to market volatility. In this vein, the economists’ General Wine Index performed well. During a relative drop in some Share indexes of 47p since the market crash of mid to late 2008, their wine index dropped only 17p. The researchers specifically stated that during times of painful economic downturn “the defensive characteristics of wine are most pronounced.”

It seems that Bordeaux in particular has provided a welcome shelter from the economic storms affecting the global markets. Yet, this isn’t necessarily all positive for your every day wine lover. With investors clamouring to acquire new holdings, prices are inexorably driven higher, as partially shown in this year’s 18% increase in en primeur Bordeaux. Yet, a wealthy industry is, in part, a healthy industry and the market’s thirst for quality wine will hopefully drive investment in both production and the retail sector on this side of the Channel. I may be no closer to picking up vast stocks of first growth bordelais produce, but I’m happy in the knowledge that at least there’ll be a space for it in future markets.

1 Comment

andrew, April 15th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Wine buying

Sus a la fraude! 1907 vindicated?


Fraud is still an enemy of the Midi, it seems. The cause for the great riots of 1907 has proven to be as persistent as a herring . One of the Midi’s largest winemaking cooperatives has met with problems in the Chinese market, where they have been victims of large-scale fraud. Mont Tauch is one of the region’s stars and is responsible for much of the AOC Corbieres and Fitou which we see in the UK market today. It has been active in China since 2007, with steady growth in its sales showing the investment to be a shrewd one.

When rumours began to spread of ridiculously cheap prices, however, authorities were spurred to begin an investigation into the odd market performance. It emerged in February of this year that Chinese counterfeiters have produced some 400,000 bottles of wine which claimed to be AOC Fitou. Although both the bottles and labels bear the logos of the Cooperative and their respective trademarks, the liquid within the bottle was not what it claimed to be. It seems that the liquid within the bottles was actually a very cheap South American wine of greatly inferior quality.

The forgeries were thought to be of good quality and only came to light during a meeting between Mont Tauch representatives and a customer. Nevertheless, authorities feel that they have stopped the flow of counterfeits and that customers in China can once again buy with confidence.

The impact on Mont Tauch’s Chinese business is not thought to be crippling, yet this goes to show the difficulty which fraud can pose. It does seem odd that the South is particularly prone to such forgeries and only strengthens the calls of Southern winegrowers to ensure that regulatory measures ensure wines are genuine and sales are legitimate. As one of my favourite wineries, it seems even more of a shame that such high quality wines were targeted. Nevertheless, now that the problem has been solved Chinese consumers can begin to enjoy some Southern French produce.

Often the ghosts of 1907 haunt the Midi in a negative sense, yet this event goes to show that their story is still relevant to the growers of today. The strict measures employed by the Midi winegrowers to prevent fraud are as important as ever, especially at a time when the Midi’s star is on the rise.

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andrew, April 14th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Wine buying, Wine Legislation

A Rosé by any other name: the EU and the task of defining Rosé

It’s amazing how many people genuinely believe that Rosé is genuinely made from blending red and white wine. This tends to be an attitude which derives from blissful ignorance, however, with its exponents generally never having thought about how wine is made (nor, if we’re honest, caring that much as long as it remains fruity, drinkable and cold). Please note, this is definitively not intended as an elitist scoff at those who don’t have a wine education, but rather an attempt to set this unconscious attitude alongside the very real attempt by the EU to facilitate exactly this method of creating Rosé in 2009.

Without getting too high in the saddle of my exceptionally high horse, there are very good reasons why this practice of blending has historically been banned and, indeed, why it remains so. Although blending approximates the colour of Rosé, it does little to approximate the nose or palate. Adding a small concentration of red wine to a soft white doesn’t achieve the same rounded red fruit so often displayed using traditional methods of controlling the contact time between skin and juice during production. Nevertheless, there were some interesting economic ideas behind the proposal. The temptation to drain Europe’s ‘wine lakes’ (of excess, unsold wine production) and create a new product which could promote sales was tempting. Yet, the worry is that such a product would bottom out the existing market, damaging the sustainability of the industry for the sake of a short-term ‘clearance sale’.

Producers in France and Italy led the defence of the status quo, arguing that the value of their product would be grossly undermined by cheap imitations produced by blending red and white. This was not simply the protectionism of old, however. In Provence, which accounts for the majority of France’s near 30% share of the Rosé market, producers were incensed that the recognisable character of their product should be undermined so flagrantly by the draft proposal of March 2009. One of the greatest concerns was that the ‘wine lakes’ of the EU largely consist of wine which is unsold and hence, on the whole, unwanted. Blending low quality wines together is unlikely to make them better and the resulting produce is more than likely to be pretty unappealing.

It is possible to see how such a blend of red and white could appeal to the budget sector of the market, although it is also necessary to state that quality Rosé wine is not something to be derided. Regardless, as of June 2009, the EU has reinforced legislation which bans the mixing of red and white to produce Rosé, preferring to stick with tradition and quality in favour of better production methods. There are a plethora of interesting and well made Rosé wines on the market which palpably demonstrate the genuine quality which is possible in this style. Forget tired attitudes forged in the 70s when the wine became faddish, Rosé is an important and growing sector of the wine market which deserves attention.

Try mixing some red wine into a glass of chilled white at home. I’ll admit that the proposed blending production would be a little more scientifically conducted, yet the results of this little experiment are resoundingly negative. People may deride Rosé as a lesser wine in some circles, yet I’m willing to enjoy it for its own virtues. So, with summer suggestively lingering over the horizon, I’ll be no less likely to reach for a Rosé de Provence but far more likely to thank my lucky stars it’s not a soda-stream mish-mash of unwanted, unsalable red and white.

2 Comments

andrew, April 5th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Wine Legislation, Winemaking

Phileas Phogg: The Very Model of a Modern Winemaker

Flying winemakers are an interesting modern phenomenon, whereby Phileas Fogg may serve as a better reference-point than the winegrowers of tradition. The modern practice of advisers working on vineyards all over the globe has been enabled obviously by advances in air transport, but also by the internationalisation of trade, which has seen large companies acquire many smaller properties all over the globe and the establishment of influential consultancies.

Flying winemakers have enabled quality winegrowing to open up in previously under-developed regions such as India, Thailand and other such unlikely countries. The presence of French and European winegrowers in these territories has given the benefit of years of winemaking expertise to emerging areas. Likewise, intrepid young vintners from Australia and South Africa have made inroads into the business of winemaking overseas. The term was coined by Tony Laithwaite, who employed an Australian to work on his ‘Bordeaux Direct’ release.

Michel Rolland is perhaps the most obvious example of these globe-trotting wine advisers, plying his influence in vineyards all over the continents of the world. He famously declares in the excellent film Mondovino that he intends to start growing wine on the Moon. These winemakers are generally tasked with making wines that will perform well on the market, favouring fruity and readily drinkable wines that lack any intimidating complexity. They also help improve winemaking practices in places where modern standards of hygiene and production have not traditionally been adhered to. The French winemakers pioneering production in some Chinese vineyards are testament to this, moving away from traditional blended fruit wines for the domestic market towards distinctive single varietals (some of which is exported).

Some have criticised this phenomenon, as implied in Mondovino, by suggesting that consolidating such creative influence in the hands of individuals has led to the creation of a hegemony. Antonio Gramsci spoke of the power of such hegemony to affect economic processes, and Robert Parker is seen as the power behind the throne. His accessible reviews and clear numerical ratings have driven sales by endorsement across the world. Parker’s critics fear that his closeness to advisers such as Rolland inevitably see Parker’s tastes being pressed on others for the sake of favourable reviews and their attendant sales.

Whether Phileas Fogg’s intrepid spirit of adventure has motivated the flying winemakers of today is difficult to say, yet their exploration of virgin territories has opened up new markets and new opportunities. The spirit of the Reform Club’s wager has led many successful winemakers to test their mettle in these new territories and it can only be hoped they inspire a legacy half as long as that of stolid old Phileas!

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andrew, March 17th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Winemaking

Phylloxera: ‘To a Louse’

When Robert Burns satirically eulogised a flea in a lady’s bonnet, he intended it as a play upon the juxtaposition of wealth and disgust, setting the piece in the pews of a church. Years after Burns wrote the poem, another louse was to have a much wider ranging effect on the wealthy of Europe. The pest Phylloxera Vastatrix travelled across from America to wreak havoc in an unprepared Europe, whose unresistant vines were a playground for the voracious parasite. Phylloxera was no looker, and Burns can certainly be cited in condemnation of the “ugly creepin blastit wonner”.

Exactly how the pest made its way across the Atlantic is a subject of some debate. Some blame the amateur plant trade, with British collectors having run a successful trade in the collection of rare plants since at least the French Revolution. Some reason that the louse may well have arrived in a shipment of plants to collectors in Britain, before making its way South as an exchange took place. Others place the blame at the door of French winegrowers, eager to innovate and secure high-yield vines for use in their own country. Indeed, it may well be that both of these explanations ran simultaneously, as the louse spread slowly at first across Europe.

Panic set in as its spread across France quickened and reports from out with the country sprang up. Botanists and scientists toured vineyards to try and ascertain what was killing the vines, pondering on disease and blight before identifying the louse. Many ineffective remedies were suggested, including burying a live toad beneath the vines in order to soak up the poison. In fits of desperation, one wishes that these winegrowers had possessed a little more of Burns’ professed perspicacity with which to view the absurdity of these supposed cures:

“It wad frae monie a blunder free us

An’ foolish notion”

Potential solutions to the problem were hard to come by. Many grafted the roots of resistant American vinestock (vitis lambusca) onto the vulnerable European vine (vitis vinifera) to ensure that the louse would not be able to penetrate the thicker roots. The American vine produced an inferior wine to the European vine, but afforded hardier protection and higher yields. Grafting the two allowed growers to retain the quality of the European vine with the added protection of the American roots. Likewise, Phylloxera was unable to travel through exceptionally sandy soils and stony ground, which spared some areas in France and elsewhere from the ordeal. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous of these, where the pudding stones (known as galettes) in which the vines are grown prevent the pest travelling.

In Burns’ poem, the louse is a social leveller ignorant of airs and graces. Phylloxera had the same effect – tearing through Europe like a fire and blighting rich and poor alike. A tiny louse challenged a wealthy industry of centuries’ provenance and changed the entire practice of wine-growing in Europe. A tiny louse forced the wealthy of Europe to take a long hard look at their industry and work hard to re-establish the success of previous years.

“O wad some Power the giftie gie us

To see oursels as ithers see us! “

1 Comment

andrew, March 15th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Winegrowing
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