PUT A CORK IN IT!

Researchers are taking a scientific look at the case of cork versus screw cap in wine bottles and I for one will be interested to see if there is any difference.  The one problem I see with the study, though, is it will be limited to one kind of wine and will not address the main issue of cork taint in wines stored for very long periods.

But, what really interests me about this story is the insight into the snobbery of wine enthusiasts.

At a recent tasting of luxury boutique wines on the Hawaiian island of Maui, John Conover, general manager of the PlumpJack Vineyard of Oakville, Calif., stood accused.

"A lady in the audience stood up and said, 'You're the one. … You're the one that bottles with screw caps,'" he recalls, noting his winery is proud to be experimenting with the closures.

"She said, 'You're taking the mystique out of wine.'"

I expect the findings to be along the lines of "inconclusive" "no significant difference" "more study needed"  blah blah blah.  But, even if they find that screw caps keep wine better, the wine "experts" will always demand cork.  Why? Because, the mere act of opening the bottle of wine gives them spotlight time.  "Oh, look at me. I know how to use this fancy cork screw!"  There is no other jargon in the world more over dressed than that of the oenophiles.  Wine does not have mystique any more than it has soul or magic.  Wine is a product that can be consumed and contains alcohol which causes an inebriation that humans - and some animals - find enjoyable.  This inebriation tends to lower inhibitions and "loosen lips" and this tends to make for memorable - and sometimes not so memorable - times with loved ones.  That isn't magic, it's predictable.