The Wine Knows

My "friend" in the cork industry is back - and he doesn't like what I'm writing. My latest note about the high incidence of cork taint in our recent Pinot Noir judging prompted him to email me.

First, he doesn't think I'm fair to corks (he apparently didn't read my missive the other day, "In defense of corks").

He suggested that I find some kind of insignia on each cork that has taint and let those companies know. Fair enough.

Here's the kicker, though: "I truly believe all the wines you are referring to had other problems that you are mistaking for TCA."

So what he's saying is that our judges, who collectively evaluate more than 20,000 wines per year, cannot distinguish TCA from oxidation, brettanomyces, volatile acidity, hydrogen sulfides, sulfer dioxides or mercaptans.

And, amazingly, he was able to detect the lack of TCA without even being there!

This is the same kind of arrogance and denial that has pushed more and more wineries to alternative closures, such as screwcaps, synthetics, glass tops and bag-in-a-box.

Many cork companies have been facing the problem of cork taint head on and are taking steps to correct the problems. Unfortunately, many winemakers and consumers have lost confidence because of the lies and practices by the cork industry over the past quarter-century.

Apparently, my friend still subscribes to these methods.