In today’s news from "Food Week" comes this story about 4000 cases of New Zealand’s "Te Kairanga Pinot Noir" being rejected by its German buyer. The reason? The wine contained 3.6 PPM of copper, while Germany’s allowable limit is 1 ppm. Germany, it was noted, is a stickler for enforcing their tight guidelines.
The article doesn’t indicate what sort of closure was used, or why the copper levels were higher than Germany’s allowable limit. But one does have to wonder if copper fining was used to prevent unwanted post-bottling reductions (which result in sulfur-based aromas of rubber, onion and other unappetizing scents). Such post-bottling reactions are found in a fraction of wines bottled with such air-tight closures as screwcaps or glass stoppers.
I could find no online evidence of Te Kairanga pinots being bottled in screwcap. But New Zealand is a leader in the screwcap movement, so learning as much would come as no surprise. Until then, I am only speculating.
But news of this rejection arrives on the same day "The Scotsman" reports screwcaps are now found on the majority of wines for sale at Britain’s powerhouse retailer, Tesco – more evidence the screwcap juggernaut has reached orbit, and there is no turning back. So if this particular rejection wasn’t due to fining for screwcap, it’s likely just a matter of time.
Note, however, that faults due to screwcaps are reported only half as often as are faults form corks. And that complaints from corks are finally being taken seriously by the cork industry, which has invested serious moolah to fix a problem they ignored for decades. But cork tain is only one of several problems that can occur with cork, and oxidized wines (letting in too MUCH air), is even more common. Let’s face it, cork is a wonderful, natural product. It’s just that it ain’t perfect.
Though reports of reduction under screwcaps are about half those of tainted wine under cork, it seems clear we have yet to find the perfect wine closure. But until then, we must remain ever-vigilant.
Cheers!
Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant
In tomorrow’s blog – Q&A with author George M. Taber!
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I would like to quote from the German Book “Chemie des Weines ” from Würdig / Woller …
Page: 904
Chapter: 10.7.2 Ermittlung des Bedarfs an Kupfersulfat:
Die Behandlung der Weine mit Kupfersulfat dient zur Beseitigung von Schwefelwasserstoff-, Mercaptan- und Disulfisböcksern. Überschönungen sind zu vermeiden. Die Kupfersulfatmenge ist auf 1 g/hl begrent. Nach der Behandlung ist das Kupfer durch eine Blauschönung aus dem Wein zu entfernen.
Now what this means is that if you need to Copper fine a wine due to reductive notes, a maximum of 10ppm of Coppersolfate (CUSO4) is allowed which is about 3.9 ppm of pure copper.. But the wine then has to be fined with a “Blauschönung” to get rid of the copper again.
And on page 271 you can read that having more than 0.3ppm of pure copper the wine can turn cloudy.
And now the big question is: “Is Blauschönung only allowed in Germany or also in New Zealand?”
If it is not allowed in New Zealand, then hmmm…
…Are German wines fined with a “Blauschönung” allowed to be sold in New Zealand?
Patrick, I thank you for your comment, and hope we can find a Kiwi to contribute some insight from down under.
You’ve provided detail beyond what I have at hand. Thank for your added value!
Dave