Over the last few years I am sure you have seen many of your favorite wines go to a screw cap or Stelvin closure. Why you ask? Primarily, it is because this may be the only true alternative to ridding the wine industry of cork taint.

In a short explanation it is presumed to be the cork that inhibits the flavors in some of the World’s best wines. The scientists tell us that cork taint is mainly due to the compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). This compound is found in bad corks and results in wines that have mouldy or musty aromas. Wine lovers who are familiar with cork taint can detect it right away and generally feel that this wine is ruined, and return the wine for another bottle. Some consumers, though, who are not familiar with cork taint just believe that the wine is “bad” and they will never buy that wine again. That is unfortunate because had these consumers tried the same bottle of wine without the bad cork, they may actually have loved it. This can cripple a wine producer, as the “word of mouth” spreads the belief that the wine is “bad”, ruining a reputation that they have worked so hard to establish.

The percentage of wines ruined by taint range anywhere from 2-10%. Can you imagine any other industry in the world that could survive if 10% of the products they produced were defective? What if 10% of the products the automobile industry produced were defective? How about the Airplane manufacturers? Scary……

In addition to preventing the TCA to inhibit the wine, Stelvin closures also make the wine; easier to store (they can be on their side, standing straight up or upside down in your cellar), free of leaky corks, more fruity due to better preservation of the flavors.

It is important to know that cork is a natural product harvested from the bark of a tree. This bark contains bacteria, which is common for most living things in nature. The cork producers attempt to kill all the bacteria before production, but some survive. Now imagine if you put this bacteria in a bottle full of yeast and decomposing fruit juice, it will thrive in this environment. The sanitized stainless steel “screw cap” seems like a pretty good alternative now, doesn’t it?

So next time you are shopping for wine and see a Stelvin closure, don’t turn your nose up with images of Mad Dog 20/20 or Boone’s Farm. Give it a try, it is the best closure option, in this wine guy’s opinion.

Cheers,

Chris