Wine with a twist? Natural cork versus stelvin closure

After posting yesterday’s blog about red wine and its relationship to health, I thought to myself what am I attacking next.  Wine and health benefits certainly can fire off some excitement amongst people, but what really gets a wine lover fired up? 

I got it – Screwcaps!  Yes indeed, I said it!  The constant debates if screw cap closures should be used on wine or not, still hasn’t found its rest.  And in my personal opinion,
 rightfully so!  Thinking of opening a wine tableside by twisting of a screw cap?  What a nightmare, but in today’s world, more and more, reality!  My take on screw caps, synthetic corks and real cork for wine bottles is that there no “one size fits all” more along the line that there is a place for all, each in a certain category. 

The first argument from people that are “pro stelvin” closures that surfaces each time, is the cork taint and oxidation issue.  How it all can be avoided by simply using stelvin closures.  Wait a second, that simple, why isn’t everybody doing it then?  Just because of the romance?  Is natural cork really that bad?  I say no, no and NO!

Lots of research has gone into stelvin closures for wine and why I certainly agree that screw caps on wine have its place, I don’t think, it is the right application for all wines.  In the earlier years, the quality of the cork was much lower as well and if for nothing else, thanks to the alternate closure push on wine bottles, that quality has greatly improved.  Why not continue to improve this natural product, which is better for our environment and allows certain “must happen” interactions between air and wine to drive perfection into wines such as Chateau Margaux et cetera.

I also believe that synthetic cork has its place in today’s wine world.  But only on wines that are not meant to age in a cellar.  For example, Beaujolais Nouveau would be a perfect wine for synthetic or a stelvin closure.  Mostly consumed at home or poured by the glass, furthermore and most important this wine is  definitely not meant to age!  Another good example are young vibrant sauvignon blanc, that reach our markets every day and are here to be consumed immediately. 

But would you really be happy when your 2008 screaming eagle cabernet sauvignon arrived with a screw cap?  I understand that the image of a cork has something to do with that as well, but I want that wine to get better over time; do its magic in my wine cellar, so that when I pull out that special bottle in 15-20 years, it is ready for me.

I say, keep improving the natural cork, use the stelvin closures and synthetic corks for wines as outlined above.

And now, I have to go and finish my wine cork board J