History tells us that the cork it was used by the ancients Greeks already in the fifth century BC for the closure of the containers. This habit derives from the discovery, over 2500 years ago, of the main properties of wood obtained from the cork or cork tree.
Among the characteristics of cork we have:
- Hermeticity: linked to the presence of suberin, an organic substance that makes up most of the cell membrane of cork. it is insoluble, inert, flexible and plastic. Furthermore, it does not transmit unpleasant odors and tastes to the substances with which it comes into contact.
- Elasticity: allows a perfect adherence to the neck of the bottle in a short time compared to capping, preventing liquid leaks. The fabrics of which the cork is made are then waterproof; the cells are not communicating with each other. For this reason the wine in contact with the cork penetrates over time only for a few millimeters (obviously depending on the quality and batch of the cork).
- Weather: a cork has a life of about 15-20 years ensuring an optimal duration. After this period, it can lose elasticity and it is advisable to re-cap. Cases of wines perfectly preserved for a long time with the original cork are not rare.
The corks were widespread in oenology from France, starting from second half of the 17th century. A special merit is certainly to be attributed to the father of champagne, Pierre Dom Pérignon, a famous Benedictine monk and inventor of the cork to "imprison" the sparkling wine and the gas contained in the liquid.
Due to the overproduction of corks, world production is leading to exhaustion and demand arises spontaneously.
IS THERE A CAP THAT CAN REPLACE THE COMMON CORK WHILE KEEPING ITS CHARACTERISTICS?
To date the cap Stelvin that from the rest of the world has landed in Italy overwhelmingly, a good slice is taken in ready-to-drink wines and more.
Things? It's about a aluminum capsule to unscrew, with a tin alloy bottom inside which allows a nitrogen bubble to be retained inside. There bottle it's completely sealed, it is advisable to open it half an hour before tasting to allow the wine to oxygenate.
The wine will never taste of cork, will preserve integrate perfumes desired by the manufacturer and will facilitate the storage of the bottles always in vertical position.
So is it a perfect cap? Better explain: a wine is a living matter that is born, grows and dies but above all that continuously evolves. The cork allows this evolution while the Stelvin cap no.
So, if we want to drink a product of which I have to savor all the fragrance of the wine, the Stelvin cork will be perfection.
If we want to drink a wine knowing how it was ten years ago and how it has evolved over time, cork is necessary.
Probably as in all things, why not use both? In the end there is no perfect cap, but there is the most suitable cap for each wine. The chills come to think of a world without the magical ritual of opening the bottle anymore, but if unfortunately it should happen it will mean that we will also make the moment of uncorking a Stelvin cap become romantic, wrist permitting.
Do you think these caps can coexist together or do you prefer one to the other?
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