Wine Musings From Jerry - Are Screw Caps really cool?

The hottest topic in the world of wine today isn't about vintages, varieties or locations. While Mother Nature's legendary temper makes each year exciting for winemakers around the world, it seems that one of her other wonders has taken precedence: that wonderful tree bark known as cork. Today the big question is whether or not to screw. A nasty little infection called Trichloranisole, or TCA, has made its mark. It occurs during the cork-sterilization process, so little can be done to halt it other than careful bark selection and lot inspection. As many as 5% of all cork finished wines are ‘corked’ resulting in a musty-flavored wine. A significant number of highly regarded wineries in the United States are taking the " Stelvin" closure plunge; aka the screw cap. Plumpjack has been bottling 50 percent of its reserve production in Stelvin. This year look for Calera, Argyle and Sonoma-Cutrer to join in the action. Don’t be an old fart. Screw caps are cool.