Snippets from the Italian Scene
Synthetic Corks for Wines
The other interesting news of late (1998) is that Italian wineries are beginning to adopt synthetic corks - not for the DOC wines, which must by law have cork stoppers, but for the table wines. Papers have devoted full-page spreads to the subject, and reactions are mixed. There's much horror from the traditionalists, especially those involved in serving wine, who lament the loss of part of the ritual - there's not much point in inspecting or sniffing an inert plastic stopper. The bodies governing the DOCs are taking more of a wait-and-see attitude; they want to know how the table wines that are now being sealed with synthetics will develop over time. It's no secret that wine in a bottle with a cork does change with time, as oxygen seeps in through the cork, and that a bad cork, which can occur in even the most expensive lots of corks, will ruin the wine it's in contact with. If the table wines with synthetic stoppers do well over the long hall we can expect the DOC commissions to allow them.
The reaction of the producers? They're interested. Enrico Teruzzi of Ponte a Rondolino told me that he'd prefer to use synthetic stoppers for his Vernaccia because he thinks they offer a better guarantee than the traditional corks. Ambrogio Folonari, of Ruffino, has been experimenting with them for the past two years and hasn't noticed any problems. Albiera Antinori recently said in an interview that she doubts Antionri will use obviously synthetic stoppers for strictly aesthetic reasons, but does expect that the company will adopt some sort of synthetic mix - "Bad corks are a real problem." So, it looks like synthetic stoppers are on the way.
My experience? I've had one synthetically sealed bottle, a Pinot Noir from the north-western US. It was a couple of years old, and quite nice - fresh, fruity, and with good structure. And this brings up a point: though there are wines that can and do evolve in the bottle, Barolo for example, the vast majority are ready to be drunk when they're bottled -- subsequent interaction with the atmosphere though the cork can only hasten their decline.
A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine
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