Do wine bottles really need corks?

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: Apex

Originally posted by: d33pt

Originally posted by: Apex

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: spidey07
If you ask any winery which they would prefer, they prefer a screwtop. They keep the cork around for cork sniffing snobs.

I've opened thousands of bottles of wine, used to wait tables and bartend, and about 10-15% of corks have at least a small amount of mildew rot on them.

And when I opened bottles I did not even give them the cork, I left it on the corkscrew. I did not see any reason why you would want to sniff the cork when you can sniff the wine.

In a restaurant, your server gives you the cork for 2 very good reasons:

1. So that you can verify it's the right wine & vintage (most vineyards stamp their logo, the line, and year on the corks)
2. To make sure the cork doesn't look like this:

http://www.gotapex.com/images/apex/merryvale2.jpg

pardon the ignorance, but what's wrong with that cork?

The wine has traveled completely out of the bottle. You can see the stain on the top (outside) of the cork. Because of this, air has gotten in and the taste of the wine was clearly off.

If the wine has soaked through the cork, isn't that supposed to mean that it has sealed the pathways in the cork through which air can travel? And thus why bottles are set in storage at a downward angle, the top of the bottle being the lowest point in storage?

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: destrekor
If the wine has soaked through the cork, isn't that supposed to mean that it has sealed the pathways in the cork through which air can travel? And thus why bottles are set in storage at a downward angle, the top of the bottle being the lowest point in storage?

bottles are set sideways so the corks do not dry out

if the wine can get to the top of the cork, the cork has been compromised

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: Apex
In a restaurant, your server gives you the cork for 2 very good reasons:

1. So that you can verify it's the right wine & vintage (most vineyards stamp their logo, the line, and year on the corks)
2. To make sure the cork doesn't look like this:

http://www.gotapex.com/images/apex/merryvale2.jpg

You let them read the bottle to verify the vintage

As the wine presenter/opener, it is your job to inspect the cork

Sometimes, counterfeit wines have their labels taped over. This is actually one of the most common methods. That's why its important to inspect both the label and the cork.

 

[dbk]

FRANZIA!!

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: Apex
Sometimes, counterfeit wines have their labels taped over. This is actually one of the most common methods. That's why its important to inspect both the label and the cork.

that is more of a issue with private sellers

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: miri

Originally posted by: Apex
Sometimes, counterfeit wines have their labels taped over. This is actually one of the most common methods. That's why its important to inspect both the label and the cork.

that is more of a issue with private sellers

I definitely agree with you there. It's still a good habit to keep though. Distributors aren't always as honest as we would hope. 🙁