I queried Guy Lelarge, owner of Valencia Wine Co. about the use of corks, he only had to look over his shoulder to a $150 bottle on his back counter–a disappointment due to tainted cork. He said 10% of corks go bad. The two I’ve had and enjoyed with screw caps in recent years were Screw Kappa Napa made by Don Sebastiani & Sons (http://www.donandsons.com/) and Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (http://villamaria.co.nz/home.php).
But I still can’t help feeling somewhat cheapened in buying screw capped wine. I haven’t opened one for guests as it lacks the flourish that I usually use with my foil cutter and rabbit cork remover! It’s a funny connotation that continues to attach; at least until a majority of the European and domestic wineries move in that direction. Suffice to say it is interesting the personal perceptions wine drinkers make and the business decisions winemakers put on this issue.
Now to the next question: What if I leave my wine unfinished and, aghast, unsealed overnight, will it be good to drink the next day? Only your personal taste buds can tell. I would toss a cork on it in the am to try in the pm, with a back up bottle of course. My experience has been that if it was a young wine to begin with it can actually benefit from the overnight aeration. As with decanting (In any vase as long as it’s clear glass–and only that because seeing the color is part of the tasting experience) any young wine, or a too fruity wine, it can only ripen if given a little air. It causes it to mix during the transfer and age before the drinking.
Now, as far as that last teaser for this column: Why is there a flying saucer depicted over a winery the chosen decoration for the label of domestic wine Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant California Red Wine? (http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/wine/view/82) The back of the label tells the exact story but please allow me to paraphrase. There is an actual law on the books from the 1950’s that prohibits the landing of any flying saucers (cigars being just a reference to its shape) in the vineyards of France. And if a landing should occur, as the back label goes on to explain, the UFO will be impounded.
Highlights from the SCV Wine Calendar:
Local Tip: ”Dancing with our Stars” is not an official wine event (though there should be plenty) but it’s tomorrow night and most of the movers and shakers that support over two dozen charities will be there. Call Linda Hafizi today for tickets: 661-294-4444 X113
Wine Tasting: ”Screwy Thursday” on 4/29 at Vino 100 Valencia because you can’t judge a wine by its closure. Reserve: 661-284-6886.
Finally “Watch Eve struggle with a corkscrew when she works at Valencia Wine Co. Tuesday 4/27 from 4-9 pm for a % of the evening’s sales to benefit the Unitarian Universalist Church of SCV.”
Yours, in wine and out,
Eve Bushman- commentary
Eve Bushman is a local writer that specializes in writing about wine. You can find great articles by Eve on her blog at http://www.evewine101.blogspot.com or email her at [email protected]. Her commentaries represent her own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization she may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon. She is also now on Facebook and has a monthly column in http://scvelitemagazine.com