Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Real wine corks......

I obviously have to much time today as I actually read a Sunday newspaper (even if it was the Moan on Sunday) whilst having breakfast.

As a very amateur wine enthusiast I am aware of the increasing trend to plastic corks and metal screw caps on wine bottles. Until recently I was also not aware that my new homeland (Portugal) was the major source of real 'corks'. On a recent trip to Lisboa (Lisbon) I ventured into the lower Alentejo where the vast forests of cork Oak are to be seen.

The Mail on Sunday carries a very interesting article on the eco system which surrounds these cork forests, including the impact of decreasing use on the worlds rarest big cat - the Iberian Lynx. Our local zoo in Lagos has some of these wonderful cats and apparently there are only 100 left in the wild.

Full article HERE

I am sure that true wine buffs (cue Aeroman) may have an opinion but if you get the choice then choose cork not plastic or screw cap.

A very interesting article Phil and I agree with the comment: "The thin rattle of a metal screw-top cap being removed just isn't the same." - give me a proper cork everytime.

However, the use of synthetic corks and screwcaps or ROPP as they call them in the trade (roll-on-pilfer-proofs) was a response to two major issues, firstly an increase in cork contamination or 'corked' bottles of wine mainly due to poor hygiene from the cork suppliers. And secondly, as more and more wine is sold quite young in supermarkets for immediate drinking, rather than laying down, there is no need for the wine to interact with oxygen to be aged.

This is particularly true of white wines and has been very much a new world initiative, but the traditional producers and marketeers of wine have also jumped on the alternative closure band-wagon. For good quality red wines, that spend time in the bottle, there is no real substitute for traditional cork imho, to ensure the ideal ageing environment.

I believe that corks still seal some 60% plus of all wine bottles, and to quote your article writer again: "Is there any sound in the world that holds greater promise than the gentle pop of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle?"

If we also help the environment whilst drinking wine what greater incentive is there?

I'll drink to that.

I reckon what is in the bottle is more important than the stopper! I'd much rather have a good New Zealand Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc with a screw top than an inferior wine with a cork (saw some Cloudy Bay SB today with a screw top). There are pluses and minuses for both. Maybe we should go for the old Italian practice of keeping air out of the bottle by floating olive oil on top of the wine? Living in Portugal must be pleasant!

Great to see your great taste in wine

Most of our quality whites now use the Stelvin closure (screw cap), while the high end reds still use cork. The romance of the cork is still strong but the convenience of the screw cap means the bottle can be consumed over a few days

There was a natural history type documentary last week about the Portugese Cork Oak and the Lynx. It was very good.
I don't expect to see a sudden demise of cork closures as there's too much tradition involved, and we all know about tradition eh? New Zealand is embracing screwcaps and good luck to them since most NZ Wines are for early drinking as mentioned above. I don't seem to come across many synthetic corks, but don't much like them. Let's face it you can't tell from the outside anyway. The 'experts' seem to think that real cork is best for wines with cellaring potential. We've been very lucky in that I've only ever had about half a dozen corked wines over many years - of which only one has been white.

I've just read about the ideal wine for you Phil and it is from your neck of the woods too.

Adega Coop Borba Reserva (click on: 'Wines', then 'Reservas & Premiums' and then 'Borba Reserva') has a cork label, as well as a cork closure, to honour the fact that it comes from the important cork oak producing area - the Alentejo region.

It also seems that there is a stockist in Guia, which I believe is circa 30 miles from you. Cheers

Thanks Brian

In fact the local supermaret in Luz stocks it too... so I'll have a look there first. They usually have an excellent range.

Since we moved over we only drink local wine and there is a vast range of them. The supermarket shelves are as long as those in the UK but only have Portuguese wines. Our favourite region is the Alentejo but the Algrave has some excellent stuff too.

The reason they are appaently little know in the UK is thta most are produced by small family vineyards (Adega's) and these will group together to form co-operatives (Agega Coop), but still produce less wines per annum than the minimum UK supermarkets will order.

I'm sure you would really enjoy trying them......

I do hope it drinks as well as the get-up Phil.

We do import wine from Portugal from the Guedes family-owned company - Sogrape Vinhos that are famous for Mateus Rose (most of our imports), vinho verde (our next biggest category), but also own Sandeman Port (world-wide brand leader) and Offley Port (brand-leader in Portugal). They produce some 70% of the wines in volume of Portugal and thus have been able to compete world-wide with their more mass-market offerings.

The main disadvantage that Portuguese wine has in an age of more and more varietal wines being produced; is varietals that have been in many cases developed for the unique climatic conditions that appertain on that end of the peninsular. Also, the wines tended to be developed for local tastes and food, oily sardines and pork especially, thus the reds were slightly acidic (to cut the fat!) and the whites often sweetened. The main export markets of old were mainly former Portuguese colonies.

Thus, out of the long list of grape typess - Alvarinho and Loureiro are worth watching out for and whilst the Dao region is famous for quality reds, there are some interesting wines also coming out of the Duoro; when the port wine grape growers can be torn away from their core activity.

The Sogrape reds I like are, Reserva Dão, Dão;
Quinta dos Carvalhais Tinta Roriz, Dão;
Quinta dos Carvalhais Touriga Nacional, Dão.
I am still not that keen on most of the (Portuguese) whites, but on a hot day at the beach I do like a good Vinho Verde - an excellent refreshing quaffing wine.

Or should that read infamous.....
Takes you back, doesn't it - prawn cocktail, chicken kiev, babycham..................