The Lowly Natural Cork is Raised to Lofty Heights
Wine bottle stoppers. Much has changed in the last 10 years. Natural cork dominated the closures for bottles over many centuries. And, in spite of inroads from other forms of closure, they still do.
But in the end, natural cork is simply a choice made to seal a bottle of wine. Not a very high-tech concept. Well, maybe not.
Recent studies have uncovered a compelling influence that natural cork seems to impart on the contents of a bottle of wine. Modern science has changed our understanding of the composition and genetics of numerous products and processes in ways previously unimaginable. But a lowly cork?
In another example of the serendipitous anomalies found in science, a Portuguese cork producer striving to reduce the incidence of cork taint in wine has stumbled on a hidden benefit of corks. Their premise? Cork is not just a closure; it impacts the evolution of wine while in a bottle. And with a positive effect.
Natural cork has long been known to have desirable qualities, notably being breathable, thus enhancing the nature and quality of bottled wine over a number of years. These qualities partially contribute to the amazing ageability of individual bottles of wine. Under ideal storage conditions, Bordeaux wines may continue to age for up to 50 years – and longer.
Ten years ago, the incidence of cork taint (an off-putting aroma like wet newspaper) was rather high and alternate forms of closure were developed. While these closures have risen in popularity over the cork taint concerns, the last few years have seen a measurable enhancement by the cork industry to minimize and eventually eradicate this problem. Of the several alternatives that were introduced into the market (screwcap, glass, agglomerated, which is fused particles of natural cork, and synthetic), only the screwcap seems to have gained a modicum of sustained popularity among winemakers and the consuming public.
Today, after the Portuguese cork industry undertook a major effort to improve corks and lower the incidence of taint, cork is regaining its ages-old prominence. Annual production exceeds 12 billion, accounting for 70 percent of all closures. The latest competition has come from other natural material, notably sugar cane, on which I have previously reported.
The attraction of natural cork persists among winemakers. But in the end its centuries-old use is basically as a bottle stopper. Well, maybe.
A recent study enhances the reputation of cork as the optimum natural closure. The trade publication Drinks Business recently reported on a research paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concerning the impact of certain compounds in natural cork on the aging and quality of wine. It interviewed the director of research and development for Amorim Group, Dr. Miguel Cabral, for further insights. Amorim, the largest producer of natural corks in the world, has been conducting research on natural cork.
His premise: cork is cultivated from the bark of the Quercus suber tree, a genus of the oak family. Barrels from oak trees are used to store and age wine, imparting distinct aromas, flavors and structure to a wine. So naturally, one would expect, on a significantly smaller scale, a similar impact from corks.
Quotes by Cabral from the interview:
“Amorim was attempting to put the science behind the belief that wine matures ‘differently and better under cork.’ When we put wine in a barrel there is an extraction of phenolic compounds (sic) from a barrel into the wine, and it’s the same when we put wine in a bottled seal with a cork.”
These compounds include tannins, phenols and polyphenols and “have been shown to reduce color deterioration and astringency in wine.”
Cabral has identified 40 different extractible compounds in a natural cork that may be beneficial to the aging of wine.
Wine is a living, breathing organism, constantly interacting with its environment. Amorim’s fascinating research may offer insights into wine’s future manipulation. I endorse this nature-based advancement of modern science.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member of the Wine Media Guild of wine writers. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
