Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
november 2017 / the tasting panel / 61 ithout a doubt, the cork stopper is one of the most successful—and sustain- able—packaging solutions in history. The first evidence of its use in sealing wine can be traced to the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, where an amphora dating back to the first century B.C.E. was found with both the cork and wine still inside. By the 18th century, multiple producers in Champagne adopted cork after a French Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, first used it in 1680. Today, seven out of every ten bottles of wine contain a natural cork. Past issues with TCA—or 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, the compound primarily responsible for cork taint—led to the rise of alternative closures over the past 15 years; meanwhile, the industry has spent tens of millions of Euros in an effort to defeat TCA through technological solutions in the care, processing, and testing of corks. Today, natural cork continues to dominate the market share, as most winemakers and consumers still hold firm trust in the material when it comes to aging wine. While tradition may be partially responsible, science demonstrates that the cork stopper's unique cellular structure makes it ideal by design. A single cork contains approximately 800 million cells, and one of its key functions is elasticity. When compressed, the individual cells push against one another to create an impermeable seal. "Corks have a very intricate fabric and contain gases similar to what you and I would breathe," explains Carlos de Jesus, Operational Director for the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR)'s InterCork program. "When you squeeze a cork on the bottling line, gas on the upper end of the cork will be expelled and the other half will be squeezed into the bottle, adding a small oxygen supply for that bottle of wine." After spending 30 years in the business, Gary Fisch, Owner of New Jersey–based Gary's Wine & Marketplace, is adamant that natural cork is the best closure for aging wines. "I'm more comfortable selling natural cork–enclosed wines of higher quality than I would be screw top," he says. "I go back to 'When are you consuming the wine?'" Fisch believes that screwcap closures can be appropriate for lighter, everyday wines intended for immediate consumption, but adds, "I don't know anybody who has a wine cellar who will buy a screw top to save for any length of time. And we wouldn't suggest it." W Today, seven out of every ten bottles of wine contain a natural cork.