Synthetic wine corks: a trend towards the future
the research that's going on, the cork industry will solve the TCA problem," said one cork producer. "I think this will happen within the next three years."
With an industry steeped in tradition, winemakers use to believe that cork has been essential for long-term aging to bring a wine to maturity, rounding out tannins and even imparting a hint of flavor, such as cherry, to the wine.
But Anderson said cork is unpredictable.
"What a cork may impart in one bottle may not show up in another," he said. "It is impossible to know."
Winemaker Tom Mackey, with California's St. Francis Winery, agrees. He said cork's task is to keep wine in a bottle-an impermeable barrier to keep the wine in and the oxygen out. Most winemakers are not banking on cork adding any flavors to the wine.
"If they get a little extra flavor that is positive, that's great," said Anderson. "Unfortunately, that isn't usually what they're getting."
Many large producers of wine offer to replace aging corks on bottles older than 15 years. Penfolds, of Australia, holds workshops where consumers can bring in old bottles of wine, have the corks replaced, and even get a small sip to see how the wine is aging.
Supreme Corq wants a part of that action and Anderson believes his company will get there in time. A small firm in the Northwest, Anderson said the mission of Supreme Corq is to capture a healthy chuck of the world's market in artificial stoppers.
Wineries up and down the West Coast, and the world, are watching to see what happens.
So, the next time you open a bottle of good wine, don't be surprised if the cork is blue, green, orange or purple. It's not the wine. And, given a good marketing opportunity, don't be surprised if you see advertising on the artificial corks.
"Why not?" Anderson says with a smile.
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