Put a Cork In It
http://californiawineandfood.com/articles/262/1/Put-a-Cork-In-It/Page1.html
CWF Sources
By CWF Sources
Published on 03/16/2006
edited
by Darryl Beeson
Consumers still love cork according to the results of a recent survey of the United States wine trade. More than nine out of ten consumers, 94%, think that non-cork closures sometimes or often cheapen a bottle of wine, according to those questioned in the study. Don't misunderstand, the screwcap is here to stay for a certain, ready to drink, not intended for aging category of refreshing young wines. Talk to the restaurant sommelier and you will learn that cork closures are still popular with those in the trade, directly serving wine to customers.
Put a Cork In It
Consumers still love cork according to the results of a recent survey of the United States wine trade. More than nine out of ten consumers, 94%, think that non-cork closures sometimes or often cheapen a bottle of wine, according to those questioned in the study. Don't misunderstand, the screwcap is here to stay for a certain, ready to drink, not intended for aging category of refreshing young wines.
Talk to the restaurant sommelier and you will learn that cork closures are still popular with those in the trade, directly serving wine to customers. Of those questioned who worked in a restaurant or other wine serving setting, the majority (71%) still preferred to open wine bottles with cork closures above screwcaps (26%) and synthetic closures (3%.) They felt their customers were not well informed about the issue of wine closures, with 48% of them feeling customers had very little information, 35% with some information and 9% with no information about which closures protect wine best. The message is that the general public still is placed low on the learning curve of this big debate issue.
This survey was carried out by the Napa-based Balzac Communications on behalf of the Portuguese cork association (APCOR) to launch the International Campaign for Cork in the U.S. During the week of December 12 to 18, 2005, Balzac Communications and Marketing sent out a survey on wine bottle closures to members of the U.S. wine trade to determine their opinions of cork closures. Survey participants included members of the US Court of Master Sommeliers, restaurateurs, retailers, wine buyers at hotels nationwide and members of the wine media.
Though a number of simple wines, created for more immediate enjoyment, truly can benifit from alternative closures, the romance remains with the cork. “Wine lovers still love their corks,” says Elisa Pedro, Director of Communication & International Relations for APCOR. “This survey shows consumers trust cork and see it as a sign of quality in wine.” Lets face it. The sound of the cork popping forth from a bottle is down-right sexy.
Half of those questioned felt the cork industry was making progress toward solving the issue of off-odors associated with TCA (2,4,6 trichloroanisole). Of those in a direct wines sales setting in restaurants, around 41% of those surveyed said they experienced about one customer per month sending back wine for quality issues. A further 25.4% said one customer a week sent back wine, 21.3% said this happened two to five times per week. Around 6.6% said 10 customers per week would send back wine, while 5.7% had never had a customer send back a wine. Those that report that they never discovered a tainted wine scare me. The odds are small, but those unaware of the occasional "corked" bottle should seek other employment.
For their at-home wine enjoyment the bulk, barely half (50.7%) of wine trade respondents still preferred cork as a closure for their wines, followed by screwcaps (42.6%) and synthetic closures (6.7%), amounting to the other half. Speaking for my wife, not a member of the wine trade, she either brings the corked bottel to me so that I can open it for her, or she merely twists the top off for herself.
Obviously APCOR is a consortium of more than 280 cork companies, representing approximately 80% of the Portuguese cork business volume and 85% of all cork exports from Portugal. APCOR stands for "Associação Portuguesa da Cortiça" - Portuguese Cork Association. It was founded in 1956 and is based in Santa Maria de Lamas, near Porto in Portugal. Understandably, its mission is to represent and promote natural cork and all products made of cork. Companies involved in the production, commerce and export of cork-based products are members of this association.
I will drink to that. Shall I pop the cork? Lets enjoy that lovely sound. I hope it will always be a part of fine wine drinking.
Editor’s note: Three years ago Dan Clarke traveled to Portugal to see the harvest of cork oaks and to visit a cork manufacturing plant. Readers who’d like to learn more about this topic can access his two-part report at the addresses below:
http://www.californiawineandfood.com/wine/cork-harvest.htm
http://www.californiawineandfood.com/wine/cork-production.htm
Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., “Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it.”
Talk to the restaurant sommelier and you will learn that cork closures are still popular with those in the trade, directly serving wine to customers. Of those questioned who worked in a restaurant or other wine serving setting, the majority (71%) still preferred to open wine bottles with cork closures above screwcaps (26%) and synthetic closures (3%.) They felt their customers were not well informed about the issue of wine closures, with 48% of them feeling customers had very little information, 35% with some information and 9% with no information about which closures protect wine best. The message is that the general public still is placed low on the learning curve of this big debate issue.
This survey was carried out by the Napa-based Balzac Communications on behalf of the Portuguese cork association (APCOR) to launch the International Campaign for Cork in the U.S. During the week of December 12 to 18, 2005, Balzac Communications and Marketing sent out a survey on wine bottle closures to members of the U.S. wine trade to determine their opinions of cork closures. Survey participants included members of the US Court of Master Sommeliers, restaurateurs, retailers, wine buyers at hotels nationwide and members of the wine media.
Though a number of simple wines, created for more immediate enjoyment, truly can benifit from alternative closures, the romance remains with the cork. “Wine lovers still love their corks,” says Elisa Pedro, Director of Communication & International Relations for APCOR. “This survey shows consumers trust cork and see it as a sign of quality in wine.” Lets face it. The sound of the cork popping forth from a bottle is down-right sexy.
Half of those questioned felt the cork industry was making progress toward solving the issue of off-odors associated with TCA (2,4,6 trichloroanisole). Of those in a direct wines sales setting in restaurants, around 41% of those surveyed said they experienced about one customer per month sending back wine for quality issues. A further 25.4% said one customer a week sent back wine, 21.3% said this happened two to five times per week. Around 6.6% said 10 customers per week would send back wine, while 5.7% had never had a customer send back a wine. Those that report that they never discovered a tainted wine scare me. The odds are small, but those unaware of the occasional "corked" bottle should seek other employment.
For their at-home wine enjoyment the bulk, barely half (50.7%) of wine trade respondents still preferred cork as a closure for their wines, followed by screwcaps (42.6%) and synthetic closures (6.7%), amounting to the other half. Speaking for my wife, not a member of the wine trade, she either brings the corked bottel to me so that I can open it for her, or she merely twists the top off for herself.
Obviously APCOR is a consortium of more than 280 cork companies, representing approximately 80% of the Portuguese cork business volume and 85% of all cork exports from Portugal. APCOR stands for "Associação Portuguesa da Cortiça" - Portuguese Cork Association. It was founded in 1956 and is based in Santa Maria de Lamas, near Porto in Portugal. Understandably, its mission is to represent and promote natural cork and all products made of cork. Companies involved in the production, commerce and export of cork-based products are members of this association.
I will drink to that. Shall I pop the cork? Lets enjoy that lovely sound. I hope it will always be a part of fine wine drinking.
Editor’s note: Three years ago Dan Clarke traveled to Portugal to see the harvest of cork oaks and to visit a cork manufacturing plant. Readers who’d like to learn more about this topic can access his two-part report at the addresses below:
http://www.californiawineandfood.com/wine/cork-harvest.htm
http://www.californiawineandfood.com/wine/cork-production.htm
Darryl Beeson travels the world looking for great wine finds. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., “Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it.”