Ed Rasimus > wrote:

>> Although the share of screw-capped and glass-stoppered wine is
>> much lower than 10 percent, I have yet to come across a wine
>> where there is a difference between the suspect and the back-up
>> bottle. In fact we had only one glass-stoppered wine with a
>> problem similar to TCA, and none under screw-cap, althouh we
>> had bad wines under both closures.

> While I agree that the Portugese cork industry has a dog in
> this hunt, I think your final paragraph actually supports their
> position. Bad corks, poorly handled corks, poor production
> sanitation, etc. are probably the leading cause of corked wines.
> But if the Portugese cork makers are implying that with good
> corks well handled (i.e. their product) the cause might lie
> elsewhere they might have a case.

Here's where I cannot follow you reasoning. When one bottle
under cork is suspect, the other discernably better (judged
by an experienced panel), then only the individual cork can
be the culprit. Since corks are treated in batches - from
production to bottling line - bottle variation can only be
caused by the individual piece of bark, not by mishandling
the whole batch.

> Bad storage, bad barrels, contamination in bottling or
> whatever would be blamed for those incidents which you cite
> of screw-capped or glass-stoppered wines which show as tainted
> and with the backup bottle displaying the same fault.

While here, I do clearly say that we do not have encountered
bottle variation, so bad wine can come from everywhe bad
wine-making most certainly being the number one culprit. Not
talking about the fact that the incidence rate of these faults
is much, much lower than with corks.

> Bottom line, and I'm in total agreement with you, is that far
> too many bottles of wine (often at great expense) are damaged
> and the cause is the cork more often than any other culprit in
> the sequence.

Here we're 100% d'accord.

> How long will it take though until I enjoy the ceremony at my
> dining table of the waiter bringing the bottle, displaying the
> label, then ceremoniously twisting off the Stelvin closure and
> proffering it for my consideration before pouring a taste?

Just come over to Vienna, no problem having this ceremony over
here!

M.