The wine industry is always looking for new technology that can
improve the way we drink and enjoy wine.
The wine industry is always looking for new technology that can improve the way we drink and enjoy wine. One of the biggest debates over the last few years has been the natural cork vs. other methods of closing wine – screw caps and synthetic corks.
Natural cork has been used for centuries, with most of the cork coming from Portugal and Spain. Cork has an elasticity and compressibility to it that has made it ideal for sealing wine bottles.
Two gripes amongst wine producers are that a small percentage (estimates put it at 2 to 6 percent) of wine can be ruined by “cork taint.”
A chemical known as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced by tiny microbes that live in the cells of cork. A tainted cork can cause musty, unpleasant aromas that may be imparted to the wine. The nature of cork can also be detrimental due to the variability in the product. Poor cork composition may lead to too much oxygen seeping into the bottle, which then spoils the wine prematurely.
Screw caps provide an alternative to natural cork, but the strong association of screw-capped wine with cheap, inferior product remains part of the public’s perception.
Synthetic corks, made of plastic, have also been introduced in many wines. The synthetic cork is more rigid and has less variability than natural cork. However, this rigidity has had some drawbacks. The rigidity, some say, actually may lead to quicker oxidation and makes the cork harder to remove.
Now, a new product has entered the market and it is catching the attention of many.
Alcoa, a Germany-based multinational corporation, first introduced a glass stopper called the Vino-Lok back in 2003. Currently, about 350 wineries in Germany and throughout Europe are using the glass stopper on some of their wines.
The brand was renamed Vino-Seal for distribution in the United States. The Vino-Seal incorporates an inert o-ring on the glass stopper to produce a sterile seal that avoids contamination and oxidation.
I was able to see this new closure first-hand when Leal Vineyards in Hollister became the second winery in California to try this new stopper, following Whitehall Lane Winery in Napa. Leal is currently experimenting with the Vino-Seal on its newly released 2005 sauvignon blanc.
I am not a purist by any means. I have enjoyed wines that have all types of closures, but I must admit I was impressed with the Vino-Seal.
After a lot of research, Alcoa was able to develop a closure that fits a traditional tin capsule, the foil that closes the top of the bottle. The first thing I noticed (or did not notice?) was that the Vino-Seal was imperceptible upon first glance. It looked like a regular bottle of wine. It did not stand out like a screw-cap, which may help in the public’s perception and acceptance of this new technique.
A few other things I liked about the Vino-Seal were that with its elegant look comes great ease of opening the bottle. Simply cut the foil around the safety ring and lift the top off. No corkscrew is needed, which makes it perfect for a picnic or in case you find yourself with out a wine opener.
The same glass stopper can be placed back on the bottle and snapped into place, re-sealing the wine from any leaks or excess oxygen. No more scrambling for a bottle sealer or trying to stuff the cork back into the bottle. I make no guarantees, for bottle sizes can be different, but I tried the Vino-Seal on a few other bottles of wine, and it fit perfectly.
Alcoa also claims that with the new closure, bottles can be safely aged standing upright.
At the moment, no automated bottling equipment that is compatible with the Vino-Seal is available in the United States, so the bottles have to be sealed by hand.
I asked the owner of Leal Vineyards, Frank Leal, if the extra work was worth it. “We want to stick to the same exact standards we have when bottling any of our wines. We do not want to cut corners. If that is what it takes, so be it,” Leal stated.
When asked about the cost, Leal said using the glass closure was about double that of using natural cork, factoring in not only price per piece, but the labor involved. “We plan on using the Vino-Seal on more releases in the future, but before I decide on how much to invest, I want to see more history and research to make sure this is a good fit.”
For more details and information on the Vino-Seal technology, visit www.alcoa.com.
Cheers!
