Cork debate continues among wine producers

Wine quality has improved immensely over the last 15 years, thanks to advanced techniques in vineyard management and wine making. But during the same period, problems with corks have surfaced.

Approximately 17 billion corks are used every year. Many experts believe that at least one bottle in 12 is "corked" -- in other words, tainted -- resulting in a worldwide loss to producers of up to $10 billion a year.

As long as consumers of fine wine continue to require bottles sealed with corks, this problem will continue.

Corkiness is a dank, moldy smell and taste that comes from TCA, a compound produced by a fungus within the cork itself. Any wine can become corked, including inexpensive ones that are opened and consumed the day they were bought as well as rare collectibles.

While wine makers admit that tainted corks too often spoil good wines, many are not eager to try selling wines with alternative closures -- especially screw caps which are associated with inexpensive jug wines.

Using the argument that cork is 17th century technology for 21st century wine, a group of more than 25 New Zealand wineries are now using screw cap closures on their expensive wines. Meanwhile, Clos du Bois Winery in Sonoma recently began use of synthetic "corks" for all of its Sonoma series wines. St. Supery, Chimney Rock and other prominent California wineries are experimenting with synthetic cork as well. Producers around the world are doing likewise.

At the same time, the natural cork producers are working furiously to develop ways to reduce the incidence of cork taint to the bare minimum. They are also trying to develop more advanced techniques for the detection of the taint that causes wine to become corked in the first place. Stay tuned for future developments.

Carolyn Prusa is a certified wine educator with Southern Wine & Spirits.