See below for what happened.........

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

Don’t Judge a Wine by Its Closure

 Many of us had our first taste of the “fruit of the vine” from one of those ubiquitous screw cap wines, being what we could afford at the time. As our interest in and knowledge of wines has increased, we may tend to look at screw cap wines as inferior.

The times they are a’changing!

As the supply of quality corks has decreased and the percentage of wines with “cork taint” has increased, the wine industry is turning to other types of closures.  There are some very good wines being bottled with several different closure systems. We will be exploring a variety of these wines from around the world, and discussing some of the closures and problems that have prompted their use. Please join us for an enjoyable evening.

Aperitif Wines

Lindemans Bin 75 Riesling, 2003    Australia

Moscato Delle Venezie (A Light Sparkling Wine)   Italy

The Wines

Viognier 2004, Yalumba Wines, Australia

Sauvignon Blanc 2004, Matua Valley, New Zealand

Merlot 2002, RH Phillips Vineyards, California

Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2002, Villa Maria, New Zealand

Pinot Noir 2003, “Big Fire”, Oregon

Cardinal Zin 2002 (Zinfandel), Bonny Doon Vineyards, California

An appropriate selection of cheeses and breads will accompany the wines.

Please bring your own glasses.Coffee and dessert will be available.

Attendees recognize they will be consuming alcohol and assume all responsibility for having done so.

 Attendance will be limited to the first thirty-two responding.

Members  $18.00            Guests   $20.00

What Happened.........

This tasting was organized by Carl and Ruby Dollhopf along with W. C. Paetz and Marilyn Hope. Thirty two members and guests enjoyed wines sealed with the new closures from wineries around the world.

Carl presented a detailed description of the history of closures. He discussed the sources of cork, its structure, and its many desirable characteristics. He told of the current problems with TCA and other chemicals that can “taint” the wine’s aroma and which the new closures, mostly screw cap type, are believed to better resist.  The details of these closures were described showing how they are designed in layers of appropriate materials to allow the right amount of air to slip by for aging effect.  While most of the closures were of the Stelvin type; there was a BVS and a crown type. Carl also showed an old wine bottle that still held its rusty and unsophisticated screw cap, as an illustration of the progress in technology.

The favorite white wine was the Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc and the favorite red was the R H Phillips Merlot.

The wines were accompanied with bread and cheeses, Swiss, aged Cheddar and Gouda. The tasting closed with coffee and cookies, including the original Oreo “screw cap” cookie and other home baked cookies by Nancy Bundorf.