Sommeliers put a lid on cork versus screwcap debate

Sommeliers put a lid on cork versus screwcap debate

Wednesday, 11 May 2011
A group of professional sommeliers is hoping to put a cork in the use of alternative wine closures.

The oldest professional wine teaching institution in the US, The Sommelier Society of America, issued a joint statement with 100% Cork, an educational campaign, endorsing the use of natural cork over synthetic closures and screw tops Tuesday.

"Natural cork plays such a distinctive role in the preservation and presentation of wine," said Robert Moody, society chairman. "It is an integral part of the romance of wine, and it remains the gold standard for wine closures."

In addition to preserving wine and acting as a durable, reliable seal, natural cork allows "just the right amount of oxygen" to mix with wine so that it ages properly, Moody said.

It's also the more sustainable choice, points out the WWF, an outspoken advocate against plastic and synthetic wine closures.

The conservation group has warned that the shift away from the use of natural cork is endangering cork forests in the Mediterranean, as farmers are forced to abandon their crops and uproot trees. The age-old practice is sustainable as no trees are cut down and the bark of the cork renews itself.

The loss of cork forests also threatens the loss of endangered species like the Iberian lynx and Iberian imperial eagle, says WWF.

The move away from natural cork was in response to 'cork taint' - a moldy taste and smell that was blamed on natural cork.

The cork-versus-screw-top-subject remains a controversial one. Just last month, wine magazine Decanter reported that a Portuguese winemaker which produces the Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2010 opted to go with screw caps - a "brave" and bold move considering that the country produces half of the world's natural cork and supplies more than 80 percent of cork closures for wine.

Meanwhile, UK retailer Sainsbury's announced commitments to use only Forest Stewardship Council or FSC-certified corks for its in-house champagnes last year.

Spain also outlawed alternative wine closures in 11 of its top wine-producing regions as part of its Denominacion de Origen or DO regulations in 2006.

Origin information: The Independent