Wine In A Blog?! - Put A Cork In It!

Wine...Full disclosure: I've never asked to see a wine list at any restaurant I've ever eaten at...Now, this might suggest that I'm an uncouth neophyte oenophile(careful here!), or maybe it's just that I've never been to a bistro brave enough to publish a list, let alone employ a bona fide sommelier. What experience I might lack in high-end public consumption I more than make up for in low-end private tastings. With these credentials(stay with me!), I explore all of the recent innovations in wine packaging, and even drop in a few wine recommendations.

First came the jug wines...No sooner had we picked ourselves up off of the floor(after an especially wild, JUG-induced party), than the world was assaulted by "wine in a box"! Boxed wine was actually concocted by an Australian, and in  Australia today, it's lovingly known as "Chateau Cardboard". 

I will never be called anything remotely similar to a "wine snob", and I wear that badge of honor proudly. I guess you could call it kind of a reverse gag reflex, but I just don't think that I could ever bring myself to "swirl and spit out" ANY kind of wine, even if my life depended on it. 

Seriously, if I were even more famous than I already am(low bar), I would freely admit to being spotted on numerous occasions sipping Bota Box California Cabernet Sauvignon out of my everyday hot/cold wine tumbler(yes, I definitely would!).

As a matter of fact, sales in Europe of bulk packaged wines have TRIPLED in the last decade. These days, wine in large liter bottles/jugs or wines in a box, rarely resembles a wine bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag, so it's definitely time that we, as consumers, put a cork in it, so to speak, and actually let our own tasters be our guide. 

Before we get any deeper into the vineyard, let us not forget the upheaval brought on by the rubber vs. cork scandal, the twist-off caps controversy, or the infamous "cabernet in a can" outrage! 

The growing demand for wine(guilty as charged), over the last thirty years, actually caused a depletion of the natural cork trees found in Spain & Portugal,  and the subsequent shortage of real cork forced the wine industry to seek an acceptable alternative. Eventually, a man-made "cork" of vinyl acetate(I always loved vinyl!), was decided on as the best alternative to the traditional, and today more than three hundred wineries worldwide are fearlessly deploying these by the millions.

At this point, for my amateur wine tasting, and for my listening pleasure, I actually prefer vinyl. Rubber stoppers preserve wine better by creating an airtight seal. Never again will we have to experience the trauma of popping open a carefully preserved and treasured traditional bottle, only to find ourselves REACTING worse than the fungus that ruined("corked") it in the first place! 

Screw-cap wines(thanks again,  Aussies!), fall victim to even harsher insults and misconceptions than rubber corked bottles. They have the audacity to not even "pop" when you open them, and you don't need that sacred ceremonial instrument(a corkscrew), to complete the ritual. I mean, come on! Even my favorite carbonated and overly sweet can or bottled soft drink lets out a vociferous gasp before I delicately partake of its delectable additives, faux flavorings, and sugar substitutes! 

As of 2018, over 35% of the world's wines were sealed with the humble aluminum twist-off cap. Once you've turned your first cap, you'll never look back. My favorite twisty-capped wine(so far this year), is La Crema 2018 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay in the 375ml half-bottle. 

 

Canned wine. Just let that sentence sink in for a moment. Just saying those two words out loud makes me feel kind of...cheap. If I repeat the sentence again, I might find myself in a very dingy part of town, across the tracks somewhere...

Admit it. You've probably felt the same as I did a few years ago. Again, we need to let our taste buds guide us here, and not fall for knee-jerk preconceptions. As with the rubber corked and twist-off cappers(helping keep wines fresh), wines in a can are delightful, and demand for them has grown by 70% each year for the last 5 years!

My current bestie(we really do go everywhere together!) canned vino is Lila Pinot Grigio. It's light, very refreshing, and easy on the budget!

So there you have it. The one point I wanted to emphasize in this little venture through the vineland, was to expose everyone's mind and palate to the endless possibilities and convenience we now have with all of these wonderful choices in today's world of wine!

Be bold, spontaneous and embrace new discoveries! The next barbeque, trip to the beach or picnic you find yourself invited to, just ask, "should I bring the wine in a box or a four-pack?"

I saw her today at the reception

A glass of wine in her hand

I knew she would meet her connection...

From “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – The Rolling Stones