The World of Wine
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
No Corkscrew Necessary
by Jennifer Margulis
This week we continue our conversation about innovative ways to enjoy a glass of southern Oregon wine.
First there’s the glass cork.
Glass cork?
Well, technically it’s called a “glass closure” because it isn’t exactly a cork.
If you’ve been to vineyards in Italy or elsewhere in the Mediterranean, you know that wine corks are usually made from the outer bark of the cork oak tree, which is water resistant and has that dry almost alfalfa-like cork smell.
Glass closures, on the other hand, are made in Germany.
Carole Stevens, director of Sales and Marketing for Folin Cellars, located in Gold Hill, says her winery has been using glass corks since they put forth their first bottle in 2005. The closures had barely been on the European market for two years, but Stevens and her team were quick to follow the trend.
All Folin Cellars wines are corked glass-on-glass except their rosé, of which they only make 50 cases of a year (if that, so Stevens says it’s not worth mentioning.)
“We did some research on it and really feel the Vino-Seal is a superior closure,” Stevens said. “The most important thing is that it preserves the quality of the wine and doesn’t allow for cork taint.”
Another southern Oregon winery using glass closures is Talent’s Trium Wines. Co-owner Laura Lotspeich learned about them in 2005 from Trium’s erstwhile wine maker, Peter Rosback.
Trium “corks” their Pinot Gris and Viognier with glass.
Lotspeich told me why she likes them:
“You’ll never have a corked bottle. They seal extremely well. Because whites are not typically laid down to age a long time, the cork’s not a component in the aging process. The glass closure guarantees a clean seal, a tight seal, and it doesn’t require a corkscrew.”
Why I like them:
1) Glass corks are a great conversation starter. (Bring it up at your next cocktail party, as you sip the 2009 creamy, floral, pear-infused Trium Viognier and you’ll see what I mean.)
2) They’re recyclable (so is cork).
3) You can reuse the wine bottle with glass stopper for bulk items at the Ashland Food Co-op (Laura puts vinegar and oil in hers, I use mine for agave).
4) You don’t have to fight with the vacuum pump rubber stopper system to close up the bottle before putting it in the fridge.
Are you a diehard cork lover or a glass-closure convert? What do you think of the controversial trend of screw capping wine?
So interesting. I've never heard of or seen glass closures before now. I'd imagine they are much prettier than the usual corks we are so used to seeing.
I would like to know what the French think of glass corks. Does the French wine industry use glass corks now? (As I remember, inserting the cork "cork" was part of the fun for ordinary folks who bottled their own wine, after buying it in bulk. We used to wash old bottles carefully. Then there was a gadget for insertion of the cork. People used to have parties organized around this event.)
Well, I could swear I read (years ago) about there being a cork shortage, so I'd assume this is (a bit) in response to that. I have not had any wine with a glass closure, but I'm certainly open to the idea.
Why are screw tops so controversial? I think they're great.
@ruth: Ha! One of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs comes with a screw cap. Love it. Even though I'm the type to carry a corkscrew in my purse. Just in case.
@Chezsven: My husband and I made our own Cabernet last year and, I must admit, corking the bottles was my favorite part. Is that weird?
Still, I sort of like the idea of glass corks. But I've never in my life seen them, and didn't even know they existed.
I remember screw tops being a sure sign of a lousy wine.... but these days I've had plenty of good wines without cork, so I'm a convert. I haven't seen a glass one yet, though. Great article, Jennifer!
I haven't heard of a glass cork, but I love the concept, especially being able to re-use it at the co-op. Love that idea.
Like commenter Chezsven above, I wonder what the French and others who age wine for very long periods of time think about glass corks - I love screw tops for young whites and other wines that don't need to sit around for a while to develop their flavors, but like a screw top, how will a glass cork affect wine that needs to breathe as it ages?
I've never heard of glass corks but it sounds like a great idea. Since it's re-usable, it's got to be more environmentally friendly.
I have to admit that I have heard little of glass corks. But I can see how it definitely would be a conversation starter. Thanks for all your educationaly and well thought out posts here.
I'm having a hard time imagining that glass on glass alone can create a tight seal. Is there rubber on the closure? I like the idea of these, though.
I've never heard of a glass wine cork, but I'd love to see one!!!!