amusing read about screwcaps.
"IS RITUAL NECESSARY?
For many of the wine enthusiasts who have already embraced the once-
maligned metal screw cap as an appropriate seal for fine wines, its
casual simplicity is part of the appeal of the alternative closure.
Unscrew the cap, pour the wine; no muss, no fuss, and best of all, no
snob factor.
But wine lovers who enjoy the brief ritual that attends the extraction
of the traditional cork feel that there's something missing in a quick,
careless unscrewing. Indeed, for restaurant sommeliers, who make a
living out of mastering wine minutiae, an opening procedure devoid of
ritual could be a professional threat.
No worries, mate ... those crafty sommeliers Down Under have already
come up with a nifty little uncapping scheme that's sufficiently tongue-
in-cheek to elicit more of a smile than a snobby sneer.
The procedure is simple, much easier to master than the dreaded
corkscrew: Grasp the cap firmly with one hand, and gently rotate the
bottle under it with the other, breaking the seal with an audible,
satisfying "crack." Then place the loosened cap against your forearm
(tuxedo optional) and roll it down toward your hand, timing the move so
the cap comes off just as the bottle rolls into your palm. Present the
cap with a flourish if you wish. There's no need to sniff it, but you're
welcome to do so if it pleases you.
Is this ritual necessary? Of course not! Is it fun? I think so, although
the answer to that question may depend on your sense of humor. The
Aussie wine geeks who first told me about it thought it hilarious, and
claimed it was an Australian invention, although my Kiwi wine pal Sue
Courtney (http://www.wineoftheweek.com/) insists that it came originally
from New Zealand, in a video produced by the good folks at Villa Maria
when they went over to the alternative closure years ago. One thing's
certain: The idea almost had to come from Down Under, where producers in
both countries have led the charge toward screw cap closures for wines
of quality.
Meanwhile, if you think the screw cap is declassé, I expect you'll be
horrified by the closure on today's tasting, a modest but surprisingly
fetching Austrian Grüner Veltliner from H. und M. Hofer, packaged in a
stubby green jug that looks almost like a beer bottle, and closed with a
beer-style "crown cap" that submits to neither corkscrew nor uncapping
twist but the humble "church key." """
From the 30 sec. Wine Advisor email. Robin Garr |
