Avenue Vine

In the nearly-packed Copia Theater, cork advocates, antagonists, and the curious heard the data, and then queried the speakers, three of whom flew in from Portugal and France for the event. Members of the panel were Pascal Chatonnet, founder of Excell in Bordeaux, and an international wine consultant who assists wineries facing problems of cork taint and cellar taint; Carlos De Jesus, marketing and communications director of world leader Amorim Cork in Portugal; from Paris, the commercial and marketing director for screwcap producer Alcan's and Stelvin Corp, Bruno de Saizieu; and Californian winemaker Randall Grahm, founder of Bonny Doon Vineyards and an ardent supporter and early proponent of screw caps. Taber, who originally stirred controversy when he chronicled California's far-reaching wine victory over French premier crus in his first book, The Judgement of Paris , helped organize, and moderated, the event.

According to Taber, the key subject of the debate (and his book) is the compound trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA). TCA was found to be linked to the use of chlorine used to sanitize cork. While most people can't detect the moldy aroma, something akin to an old, wet newspaper, until it goes above 6 ppt (parts per trillion), some can pick it up at levels below 2 ppt. Some experts say the problem is less than one bottle in a hundred; others say it's one in a case of twelve.

Representing the world's largest cork company, Amorim, De Jesus, spoke optimistically about his company's aggressive elimination of the cork taint problem, while explaining the special features of the historic closure. "I want to give you a brief overview of what it is that sets us apart from the guys who make my life miserable--and it is not from any of the people on this panel, it's really about those people who are making bad corks. So, of the 600 makers of corks, I represent one, and not the other 599."

De Jesus went on to say that more controls were needed and they are being implemented to improve sanitary standards within the cork industry. He believes corks are still the preferred closure by pointing out that his company's sales have doubled since 1994, rather than declined.

He also advanced the view that cork is the best product for the environment as well. "There is a triple bottom line we have to be concerned with," De Jesus said. "And these include our social and environmental performance, as well as our financial performance." Conceding that the cork industry is not perfect, he said that the products life cycle produces lower emissions.

When asked from the audience if he sees a time when his company might become a producer of alternative closures, he said he did not see that happening. "Why? We already have what we believe is the best product in the world," he said. "We already have a full box, and we can't keep running after each new idea that develops. We not only provide cork stoppers for wine, we also provide components for aerospace," he said. He added that their products are sought by such diverse groups as NASA, Boeing and Mitsubishi.

Representing Stelvin, the world's leading producer of screwcaps, de Saizieu, was equally optimistic about the growth and acceptance of his product, declaring their sales have reached two billion closures. New Zealand is by far the largest user with 90 percent of its wines sealed with a screwcap. "Australia has gone from 45 percent to 65 percent in a year and a half," he said. "South America has gone from only 10 million last year to 100 million this year, and will increase to 150 by next year. Mr. Robert Parker has boasted that by 2015, screwcaps will be in the majority."

de Saizieu said they are making some inroads in France where last year they sold over 200 million screwcaps; although he admitted that their product was used mainly for French wines being exported to other countries.

The screw cap, he argues is the long term best solution for the wine consumer. He said in addition to resolving the issue of cork taint, it provides "Regularity, convenience, and simplicity." He said screwcaps provide the same aging speed in each bottle, and they are developing screwcaps that can emit more or less amounts of oxygen to control this process.

To a question about the fact that screwcaps are generally viewed as the capsule for low-end wines, de Saizieu agreed that is a concern, but believes the issue will be resolved as more retailers become convinced of its merits. "It has a lot to do with the people selling the wine. Where retailers push bottles with screwcaps, they do very well," he said. "But we are working to get world-name wines to use screwcaps, and we're having success."

Grahm said he ended his association with corks back in 1993, when he started using synthetic corks, and then switched to screwcaps with the 2000 vintage, "We have been satisfied with its performance for most of our wines," he said. "The whites have done exceptionally well. They stay brighter, [while] retaining free sulfur levels much longer, enabling us to bottle at much lower levels of SO2, which is a very beautiful thing. The reds seem brighter, prettier, and more vivid than the same wines bottled with cork."

He added: "As far as whether corks have improved over the last ten years or so, I'll leave that to other people to work out." I do think that every wine that is sealed with a cork is corked, in some sense, but not necessarily tainted. But the fact that it has a cork does factor into it." Grahm introduced his switch to the screwcap in typical Grahm fashion. He held a funeral for the cork in mid-town Manhattan: The deceased cork was delivered in a hearse for the ceremony at Grand Central Station, with the eulogy presented by another screwcap afficionata, Jancis Robinson.

One of Grahm's concerns was the issue of reduction, which he explained in detail. He feels the screw cap has been unfairly blamed for reduction concerns, and while he does not believe that screw capped wines have been compromised by reduction, he admitted the issue has "posed challenges" at his winery.

A question was presented to Grahm over the potential decline of the oak woodlands in Portugal and elsewhere, and the environmental effects from the greater use of alternative closures.

Grahm expressed his concern over the carbon footprint being left behind by the present production and use of screwcaps. "I'm definitely a bleeding heart and a green consumer, too, and I want to do my part. I also love the aesthetics of the cork and don't want to endanger the oak woodlands, " he said. "I'm also pushing to make a better product, but I would like to see screwcaps recycled, and would like to see the industry come up with some plan to do this."

de Saizieu also acknowledged the environmental concerns facing screwcap producers and pointed out that from 2001 to 2005 his company had reduced emissions by 25 percent, and hoped to reduce them at least by another 10 percent by 2010.

Chatonnet said he was a researcher and a winemaker who came to listen and learn, and to represent the wine. "TCA was the worst and best thing for the cork industry," he said. "TCA was, is, and has always been a problem. And for a long time we talked about it a lot, but there were no solutions. Cork producers were sleeping, because they never had to sell their product. Now they have to sell." He said those solutions may be coming effective. "In 2003 cork taint was found in 4 percent of all wines sold with a cork, but by 2006, only .02 percent of the wines sealed with a cork were reported to have TCA."

He pointed out that while some of these problems can be resolved by decanting the wine, few people do or ask to have that done. He believes that both corks and screwcaps have shown improvement, but other synthetic closures still need further research and technical improvement before they can be considered for long-term aging. While cork taint may never be fully eliminated, the plastic liners in screwcaps may present off odors as well. Adding if there is a winner among these closures, Chatonnet said it is up to local consumers to decide.

Source: “Copia stages great cork-screwcap debate,” John Intardonato, Wine Business, October 31, 2007