The Wine Observer

Answers to Wine Lovers' Questions

A refreshing break from the routine.

Over the course of writing The Wine Observer for the past three years, I've received a number of great questions on wine from my readers. Let's visit a few of them with this month's column.

Q. Are screw caps still an indication of a poorer quality wine?

A. Not necessarily. Although the question of screw cap versus cork, as to which better protects the wine has been debated, there is a slight trend toward screw caps even for some of the exceptional wineries. However, keep a few things in mind when you're evaluating a potential selection.

Nothing is worse than saving a wine for a special occasion and then when you open it, you find the cork is soaked through and the wine has oxidized and is not fit for serving. Or that trichloroanisole, a chemical used to sanitize the natural cork prior to bottling and that can taint a wine, has gotten into the wine and spoiled it. This has prompted some to argue for the benefit of screw caps. The argument has some merit, if you've ever been in that situation.

But typically screw caps are used in wines that are ready to be drunk sooner, such as white wines. They are rarely used for cellar-quality wines. Why is this? For one thing, I would surmise that the entertainment of consuming wine involves the cork's removal — checking to see the quality of the cork and ensuring that wine has not gone through the entire cork, nor has the cork dried out, and then serving. This entertainment aspect is also part of the wine experience, in addition to drinking the wine.

Some experts believe that natural cork allows a slow aging process for more tannic wines that require cellaring and may benefit the overall taste, if not just the wine experience.

Q. What about synthetic corks?

A. There is also a debate among wine aficionados on synthetic corks, which are derived from plastic — should they be used so as to save cork trees? In actuality there is no environmental concern here, for removing bark from a cork tree in Portugal does not cause the tree to die. In fact, it is a naturally renewable resource — the cork tree simply provides more bark, which grows back; the tree is not in anyway harmed.

Additionally, I am not sure synthetic corks, which are derived from plastic, provide closure that is significantly better than that of natural cork. In fact, evidence suggests that synthetic corks don't seem to be able to prevent oxidation of the wine for any length of time, placing them at a disadvantage compared with natural cork.

And again, for me, natural cork has benefits over alternative closures in terms of the overall presentation and entertainment associated with the wine experience.

Q. I was given a gift of a beautiful crystal wine decanter and would like to use it. When should I decant a wine?

A. There are three occasions when decanting is either essential or important and these primarily involve two types of wines. The first is when you have a very aged red wine, such as one that has been cellared for a number of years or decades. Some of the more common examples include a French Bordeaux, some high-end California or Washington state cabernet sauvignon-based wines, large Italian wines such as super-Tuscans, Barolos or Barbarescos, big Spanish wines and any wine that states ‘unfiltered’ on the label.

These wines will typically build up what is called sediment, which is residual grape skins or grape seed/stem particles that rest in the bottom of the bottle. This sediment is often bitter tasting and also clouds the wine. It is best to slowly pour the wine into a decanter so as to maintain a small amount in the neck of the bottle that also contains the sediment. And in the case of very old wines, decanting should only be performed just before serving because these older wines can be fragile and longer exposure to air while in a decanter could cause the wine to ‘go flat’ or oxidize.

The second circumstance in which to decant is when you have a large and tannic wine that is too young. By this I mean a wine that is only two to five years old, in one of the varieties noted above; a first-growth Bordeaux, for example, in a good vintage year, would need 15 to 20 years to mature. In such a case, the wine is too harsh because the tannins (tannic acid from the grape skins, seeds and stems) have not softened with time.

By putting the wine in a decanter and leaving it for 10 to 20 minutes so the surface area is exposed to air, the tannins have the opportunity to soften. This makes the wine more enjoyable, compensating for its lack of maturity.

And the third occasion it's appropriate to decant is simply because you have received a gorgeous decanter as a gift and sometimes a wine just looks more impressive in a decanter!

Q. The Joy of Wine

A. Remember that these are just general rules about wine and are not meant to be hard and fast approaches. Wine drinking in moderation is meant to be enjoyable whether you're relaxing alone on the patio or sharing time with friends. Knowing about the various closures and when to decant are added areas of knowledge to help enjoy the experience. Cheers. OM