Hey You!: Stick a cork in it!

[Capn Jimbo]

Hey You!: Stick a cork in it!

Over the past couple years I'm sure you've seen some short debates over the merit - or demerits - of cork stoppers. Some complain over low quality corks that seem to break up. Some fear that there will be continued angel's losses. Some are concerned over cork taint (aka "corking" in the wine biz). Some simply love cork and that classis friction and soft, sexy deep pop experienced when uncorking your favorite dram.

Other prefer artificial corks or plastic screw tops for a claimed preservation of the spirit. The Artic Wonder is especially vehement about twist-off aluminum caps which - he claims - leak. As always, I disagreed with him stating that I'd had far more problems with bad or dry cork.

Such is life.

Accordingly, when I ran across a new website called "100% Cork" (here) I was intrigued. Now I don't know who is behind this nifty organization, but I must say they made some great points. In sum...

"That natural cork in your wine bottle? It does more than just preserve the quality and character of your wine. It preserves old-growth cork oak forests and a centuries-long way of life through sustainable harvesting of the bark. And it helps preserve the planet by naturally absorbing carbon, the greenhouse gas responsible for climate change.

Artificial plastic stoppers or screw caps on the other hand consume fossil fuels, and use at least five times more energy per ton to produce, before millions of them end up in our landfills and oceans. It may seem like a little thing, but demanding natural cork is something we can all do."

Here's the bullets:

1. Cork is sustainable. It is only the bark that is removed. The trees themselves can live up to 200 years and be successfully stripped up to 16 times.

2. Meanwhile, the trees contribute significantly and positively to protecting the environment and air quality. They cover vast areas providing biologicial diversity, promoting and protecting over 13,000 species of plants. Cork forests are one of the richest sources of plant, bird and animal diversity on the planet.

3. Cork preserves the lifestyle and local rural economy for hundreds of thousands of people who participate in stripping the bark, not to mention the secondary industries producing cork products.

4. The end products themselves are 100% biodegradable and actually enhance the environment as they deteriorate. Over 15 billion stoppers are produced annually

Now how 'bout the artificial competition?

5. Artificial corks require five times the energy to produce, are not biodegradable and end up by the multiple millions in expensive and polluting landfills. The potential for water contamination is real.

6. There is evidence that alcohol may leach chemicals from artificial stoppage.

I'm sold. Please visit this website and if you agree, you can sign a petition there...

[Capn Jimbo]

The "100% Cork" campaign un, uh, plugged...

This campaign is sponsored by The Portuguese Cork Association (APC) and the US-based Cork Quality Council. Stick that up yer...

[RT]

I would be inclined to support the continued use of cork stoppers in fine rums, but there is a practical problem. Fine wine is typically stored on its side until opened, keeping the cork moist and airtight. Once opened, the wine is quickly consumed and the cork ceases to matter.

Rum bottles are typically stored upright, allowing the cork to dry out and relying on some sort of secondary seal such as wax. Once opened, it may be several weeks or months before the last dram is consumed, all the while with a dry cork and poor seal. I have also had a couple of corks crumble and break on me during subsequent removals, on Matusalem GR, Cruzan SB, and Vizcaya bottles to be specific.


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Capn's Log: Oh yes I understand, and at times I agree. It's also possible to tip your bottles now and again to rewet the cork. But if your position is correct, then wouldn't it be the fine rums - that are more valuable and kept longer - that should get the artificials or screw ons?

[Capn Jimbo]

Yet another alternative...

Oddly enough this thread - which started out as just a fun link - has indeed been thought provoking. RT's observations are really pretty common. Yet, it is difficult not to care about the energy and environmental consequences of such common devices as the cork.

For example, consider chopsticks. These simple but very, very common devices are so common that they are used in the untold millions, daily! As a result, the number of trees that are sacrificed is immense. Thus the Chinese have taken steps to create reusable fine wood or plastic chopsticks that remain practical, clean and reusable for quite some time.

Cork is different and the problem is exactly the opposite.

Cork oak, unlike chopstick stock, is not destroyed. Cork trees typically live for up to 200 years. In this case it is the artificials that waste energy, natural resource, and increased real cost to the environment. But selfish little human twerps that we are, we can't stand the thought of losing even a waft of our altered rums, so plastic and screw off caps are becoming more common.

I think there's a compromise.

Let's face it - most bottles and stoppers are used once, then disposed of. With this in mind, it seems more sensible to use biodegradable cork for all original corkage. Those who are too lazy to tip their bottles from time to time, or who are anal retentive about preserving our better rums can then purchase a small supply of artificials (which can be recyled and kept for quite some time).

In sum, the best of both worlds. A good bi-sexual solution for most rum drinkers, most of whom fall in the middle of the Kinsey scale....