Categories: Information

Wine and cork

Wine without the cork – what is it? Is it normal, if expensive wine is cheap tube of extruded crumbs, plastic or even screw cap? Is it possible to judge the quality of a wine by what it’s closed?

For those too lazy to delve into, at the very end I give a summary with the short answer. And for those who want to understand – great article. So, in order.

Why blame the tube?

The first answer is obvious: so that the wine did not flow anywhere, and hit us in the mouth. In this sense, anyway, than to plug a bottle if it doesn’t leak and doesn’t spoil the taste.

But this is not enough.

Wine is a living organism, and its flavour (combination of taste and aromas) changes over time. Always. But at different speeds and in different directions that depend on the quality and style of wine.

What are we talking about?

All wines can be divided into two types: wine with aging potential, and wine with a shelf life. In the wine with aging potential over time to form new aromatic compounds which were not originally, and they’re a nice person. The more of these compounds is formed (talking about closed bottles in the cellar and the periods from five to ten years), the more valuable the wine and the higher its price.

A wine with a shelf life is wine, which can be bright and pleasant bouquet in his youth, but over time it will fade, and was replaced nothing would come. When a fresh bouquet wither, wine will become tasteless, and drinking it will not need. Although poison you they will not be able, therefore, to bottles of natural wine write that “shelf life is not limited” – but only from the point of view of health, and not a wine lover.

In fact, and in another case, a crucial role in the transformation of the bouquet plays the oxygen entering the wine to air. In the development of the wine, which has the potential oxygen is essential for oxidation reactions, forming the desired new connection. For wines without capacity it is harmful because of the same reactions that kill the original bouquet. It’s just that these wines initially different chemical composition, so the oxygen has such a different impact.

And enter the tube.

Because after sealing the bottle it is responsible for the speed and amount of penetration into the wine air and oxygen.

All tubes are also divided into two types: those that leak air, and those that are not. And those that air flow, different bandwidth. This is the most important criterion in the context of our question.

For the development of wine, oxygen is necessary, but it should not be too much, otherwise the wine will not develop and will just get oxidized. Therefore, the tube must ensure that guilt is not just the access of oxygen, and the correct mode of breathing. For wines without capacity, again, oxygen is cut off, and often they will only benefit from this.
Now all in order.

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One-piece cork

Is made from a relatively thin layer of the cork oak and is a solid piece of this crust. Traditional material, has historically succeeded in winemaking wooden bung wrapped in cloth.

Pros

The porous structure and elasticity one-piece natural cork can allow the long time to ensure the guilt of the correct oxygen supply and realize the potential exposure, if any.
Aesthetically pleasing, meets the stereotype of the audience about the traditions and quality.

Cons

The cost of a one-piece natural cork can exceed 1 Euro. If the contents of the bottle are comparable in price, it makes no economic sense. For countries far from the areas of growth of cork oak (e.g. Australia, New Zealand), the problem of the cost of such tubes is among the first.
Naturalness – the piece is twofold. Over time, this tube can crack or get soaked cling mold and it ruin the precious contents, which she was entrusted. To increase the lifespan of natural cork is necessary to monitor the storage conditions of the bottles, particularly for humidity and temperature. But even in perfect conditions in a few decades you may need to replace this tube with a new one and it’s a risk for the old wine.
Another issue related to the origin of natural cork – substance 2,4,6–trichloranisole (THA), inclusions which are contained in the array of the bark. THA defies detection and removal of solid cork, in consequence of which approximately 5% of all corked her bottle eventually be tainted by contact with this substance in wine. This phenomenon is called “cork disease” or “defect cork”, or simply “cork”.

Summary

The elasticity and porosity of a solid cork is good for sealing wines with great aging potential (more than 15 years). And natural and “respectability” make it a standard choice for expensive wines. The high price makes it unjustifiable for budget wines, especially outside of areas of cultivation of the cork oak, and in combination with the ability to transmit oxygen to the wine without potential for development.

In short, one-piece natural cork on an expensive wine is okay, replace it with something alternative for the budget of the fault or away from oak forests is also normal.

Agglomerate natural cork

She – extruded. Made from 5-8 mm pieces of the crushed bark of the cork oak extrusive pressed with polyurethane adhesive of food. Ie it’s almost a natural cork, except glue.

Pros

This tube is obviously cheaper than solid cork, because it is made either from waste products or from the same bark, but with most of its array, including the best part – as in the case with the categories of meat for steaks.
Before pressing the pieces of bark are subjected to steam treatment, which removes about 80% of THA substances responsible for wine cork defect.

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Cons

It would seem, solid pros. But the sinter feed tube collapses faster over time than solid cork, is also susceptible to contamination by microorganisms and of “cork disease” (though to a lesser extent) and does not cause consumer confidence.

Summary

Sinter feed (extruded) tube is a logical choice for budget wines. But also for wines with little aging potential (15 years), because it reduces the risk of losing expensive content away from the cork of the disease, but it will live to see the peak of development of the wine and will fulfill their task.

In short, this plug is quite normal as everyday wines for the 500r and Chablis 1er Cru (which is about 3T. Rbout), but not on wines with high aging potential (20 years or more, and prices above 10tr.booth).

Natural combination tube

Equally natural, and made exactly as the previous agglomerate, but with the ends glued discs of whole cork – like lining on the legs of furniture.

This is an attempt to add to the pros of cork (low cost, lower content of trichloranisole), isolation of the wine from the bonded part and a longer service life of the tube. Overall, a good attempt. But the cons are the same: consumers are not happy, he lives still less than an extruded one piece.

Summary

Common and reasonable choice for inexpensive wines and wines with little aging potential.

Polymer porous tube

Runs from different (semi-)synthetic materials such as polymers, produced from sugar cane (the largest manufacturer Nomacorc). Foam is porous and impervious middle of the smooth bokeh.

Pros

The idea of this tube is to eliminate all the flaws of natural solid cork, while maintaining her dignity.

And indeed, high quality polymer tube with a porous core is capable of flowing the air in strictly metered, known quantities, while not susceptible to bacterial contamination, drying, soaking, and “cork disease” (does not contain trichloranisole). Besides, does not require special oak forests nearby and generally cheaper than natural cork. Today, leading manufacturer offers a polymeric tube for aging wines up to 15 years.

Cons

However, some of these characteristics, the assurances of manufacturers that winemakers and consumers are not inclined to blindly trust. Especially in terms of neutrality of the materials used in relation to wine and risk spoiling the bunch outside synthetics. The ability of the synthetic tube to consistently provide the same conditions for the development of wine, and one-piece natural cork is the subject of discussions and the test of time.

Polymer sealed tube

The same materials as a porous polymer, but without the ability to transmit oxygen.
Main idea: as long as possible to preserve the bouquet of the wine without aging potential for a minimal price.

Summary

Perfect for a budget wine with a bright bouquet without the slightest potential for aging.

Screw cap

I.e., strictly speaking, not a tube at all, since it is not inserted inside, and is screwed on top.

Pioneers in its introduction were the winemakers of Australia and New Zealand, where the cork oak tree, to put it mildly, tight, and to carry the tube from overseas (Portugal the same) – is expensive and problematic. If we add to this argument of “cork disease”, is understood of winemakers easily.

Pros

Price. It is clear.
But from the point of view of work on the development or preservation of wine – also Yes.
The fact that under screw cap has a gasket which can be of two types: plastic and metallic (note in the photo above). Depending on the type of laying and density of screwing such cover may be either hermetically sealed, or permeable to oxygen as natural cork or a piece of porous polymer. It turns out that the screw cap is a universal method, suitable for any type of wine.
Don’t need a corkscrew!

Cons

For proper “work” of the screw cap must be well customized equipment, often there are problems.
Don’t need a corkscrew. What about the entourage? Savory cotton, signifying the pleasure..? And what kind of wine without a cork? In General, again, the distrust and skepticism of the consumer.

Summary

A screw cap can be closed in General, any wine, at any level and potential. But while not too expensive, because the consumer does not understand. It is rather a sign of a modern bottling line than the level of the wine.

Summary

To judge the quality of wine, method of sealing is impossible. The only thing we can tell is about the presence of this fault for at least some development potential from the point of view of the producer: if the tube is sealed (non-porous polymer), then it is definitely not if not sealed, might have. Alas, that’s all.

And, to learn about the type of tube without removing the capsule, which covers it, too, will fail. All the capsules have upper openings which allow the choke tube is designed for breathing wine.

But the sealed polymer tube is closed with the same perforated capsules…

Ambush, ladies and gentlemen)

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