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Believe it or not, corkscrews could soon go the way of ice picks!

Natural Corks Risk Tainted Goods

Artificial corks to the rescue?

For the last decade or so, there have been numerous substitutes on the market. Some wineries have converted their entire production to synthetic corks. Other vintners, from South Africa to France, have experimented with the use of synthetic or agglomerate corks. Unfortunately synthetic corks have not been the end all to the problems.

Although new technologies have greatly improved synthetic corks (Sabaté's new "Diamond" model, which benefits from a TCA-extraction process, is the best yet), they are not without their own set of problems. They're hard to pull, and if you like to re-cork a bottle and put it back in the fridge, they are even harder to get back into the neck. Corkscrews have problems punching through the denser plastics, and using a two-pronged Ah-So is virtually impossible. If the only reason to use a substitute cork is to preserve the ritual of pulling a stopper out of the wine bottle, then one could wonder if the  simple act of removing a cork is all that essential to the wine-drinking experience.

Get Over It !

Many experts suggest the very best closure for wine has been around for years. It's easy to open, no tools are required, it’s airtight, and easily resealable. What is this simple device?  The screw cap of course! In defense of the cork ritual you ask "Doesn't the slow passage of oxygen through a porous stopper help wines age and develop bottle bouquet?" That myth has been debunked. In fact, the screw cap makes the perfect wine closure — no taint, no oxidation, no problem. After all, if screw caps are good enough for $200 bottles of Scotch, why not for $20 bottles of wine?

Although market-conscious American wineries are still testing the treacherous waters of public opinion on the subject, bottling only a subset of products in screw cap, the New Zealand wine industry was the first to adopt screw caps en masse. The high-end PlumpJack Winery put half its $145 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 in screw cap and found that the screw cap version sold out first. It’s Reserve Chardonnay 2003 ($44) is also available in screw cap. Australia's Clare Valley producers and the majority of the New Zealand wine industry have taken the plunge.

The bottom line to wine lovers is we can no longer judge a product by it’s cover…er, cork!

Wine Storage Essentials

Wine Storage Options for Your Home

Under the counter wine refrigerators are readily available and designed to fit easily under kitchen counters. They offer storage of 20 to 50 bottles and keep temperatures consistent. The down side is, as your quest for the best wine at the best price continues, you may find the under the counter model too small for your growing collection. If you find you are storing your latest case of great finds in your linen closet or under your bed, you may want to consider a wine cellar for your home!

Temco Air Environmental has been converting garages, butler pantries, and linen closets into custom wine rooms for customers for years. The options are as varied as your imagination. We are a specialty contractor who is familiar with the unique design and material requirements of built in wine rooms. We offer a wide variety of cooling options and racking systems to meet your needs. If you would like more information concerning your wine storage options, don’t hesitate to contact us at (520) 622-2909.