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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