For The Love Of Port

Interesting article about Quinta do Cotto switching to screw caps.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe ... s_to_caps/

Thanks for the article Andy. Last week some friends and I had this discussion abourt wines and ports switching to the screw cap. Although we all feel a little disgusted by the issue, something about the "tradition" of the cork, we also know that it would preserve the wine and the percentage of spoilers would go down. I think our "reservations" about screw caps come from our cheaper days (college) when the screw top wines were the cheaper wines we bought with only one goal in mind and that wasn't to "enjoy" the taste of wine.

Excellent find, Andy. Post this on Parker's site too.

"Today a cork is more expensive than a liter of wine. We have become cork salesmen instead of wine sellers," Champalimaud told Reuters.

I can understand and respect Miguel's decision to choose the best closure device for his particular wines, but his coming "uncorked" on the price of cork seemed over the top.

I was surprised that the reasoning was mainly (or rather only) about financial aspects, but after learning that the new closure will only be used on the white and rosé Paço de Teixeiro wines (their cheapest bottlings), it makes more sense. Champalimaud is not the only one not using cork anymore with these bottlings. From the wines that we import Castello d'Alba (white) and CARM (white and rosé) are bottled with a synthetic cork.

It will be quite a step if Champalimaud decides to use screwcaps as well for their VP and Grande Escolha!

Would you like to know the odds against that happening?

Well, I know that IF one producer should decide to bottle VP with screwcaps it would be Michel Champalimaud. He's never been one to stick to conventions.