Cap: innovation vs tradition

The choice of the cork It is a complex and multifaceted decision that requires a careful evaluation of many variables

In fact, the cork performs the well-known purely “technical” function of preserving wine, for a more or less prolonged period and without giving off inappropriate “odors.”

At the same time, however, it is also an important element of subliminal communication, which immediately brings to mind the great “Tradition” of the world of quality wines, aged for a long time in the bottle.

Today the market offers a great variety of types of corks.

Some, technologically advanced and innovative, designed to solve problems related to odors, however, distance themselves, more or less drastically, from the "traditional" image of the classic cork stopper of great wines.

The choice thus becomes almost Hamlet-like: choose an innovative cork that guarantees the quality of the wine, but distances itself from the traditional aesthetic, or a “classic” cork, also visually respecting the tradition, but with the risk of having some bottles that “taste of cork”?

This is why at Podere Conca we recently organized a meeting to discuss and thoroughly evaluate the various options available and choose a definitive direction for our wines for the coming years.

We have proceeded in an orderly fashion to analyze the pros and cons of the various caps on the market.

Stelvin cap : it is a screw cap chosen by many companies, especially those in the “new world” of wine, such as South Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand, preferably for young wines to be consumed within a year. Undoubtedly safe and hermetic, it cannot “taste of cork” because it is made of inert material and does not let air pass through, preventing the wine from oxidizing. It is perhaps not the best choice for a product that can and must evolve, such as wine that will be bottled for a few years before being drunk.

Furthermore, from a purely aesthetic point of view and in terms of its connection with tradition, the Stelvin cork does not meet the tastes of those who love to uncork the bottle in the most classic of ways, with a corkscrew in short!

Cork in silicone: hermetic and safe from the point of view of unpleasant odors, it allows you to maintain the "gesture" of uncorking the bottle in the traditional way. It does not allow the passage of air, like a screw cap, and is not recommended for wines that must rest for longer periods in the bottle, but is preferable for ready-to-drink wines.

Furthermore, this stopper is also generally seen as a choice for cheap and low-quality wines, precisely because silicone is not a natural material and has a decidedly low cost compared to other types.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Microgranule cap: Although it is inexpensive, it is a little closer to a natural cork, at least tactilely. Microgranin is made up of small pieces of cork of various sizes held together by different materials depending on the manufacturing company. The size of the grains and the type of glue give elasticity to the cork and the recommended time for the refinement of the wine in the bottle since, with their permeability, they regulate the passage of air through the interstices.

In the birondellata version, this cork is made up of two cork washers, or discs, at the ends of the cork itself, while the entire internal part is made of microgranules, so the surface in contact with the wine is in fact cork.

Be careful though: the passage of oxygen in the internal part of the cork is considerably less than that of a cork made entirely of cork, and furthermore the ends can have unpleasant defects due to TCA and off flavours, i.e. cork taint or olfactory deviations.

Cork entirely made of cork: called monopezzo to distinguish it from the previous ones, it is the natural cork par excellence, traditionally associated with great wines that require long periods of bottle aging. Unfortunately, however, this type of cork can release unpleasant odors, the infamous "cork odor" for example, or other odors that are sometimes not well identified, called off flavors, which the consumer is not sure whether to attribute to the cork or to the wine, a choice that will obviously be to the detriment of the producing winery.

In an attempt to solve the problems created by imperfect cork stoppers, in recent years several cork factories have studied and developed cork treatment processes that guarantee stoppers free from olfactory defects.

After much discussion, our choice fell on one last type of cork.

DIAM Cap: our choice.

It is a technological cork stopper developed by a French cork factory that offers a special treatment done on pieces of cork assembled in such a way as to allow more or less air permeability depending on the chosen category. It is a stopper that guarantees the certainty of a wine that is not defective, thus respecting the olfactory profile of the wine, but at the same time also allows a micro passage of air, so that the wine can evolve in the bottle over the years.

Furthermore, the glue between the various cork parts is 100% vegetal, made of beeswax, and the cork factory that supplies it is actively involved in the sustainable consumption of energy and cork oaks.

Specifically, we have chosen for our Agapanthus 2018 a cork DIAM10 : this means that the cork guarantees the evolution of the wine in the bottle for at least 10 years.

We have therefore decided to privilege innovation to guarantee the quality of the wine, rather than tradition and aesthetics, confident that our customers will understand and approve our choice.

For any further information you can consult the website www.diam-sugheri.com

by Silvia Cirri, Linda Franceschi and Laura Zuddas