A delightful confluence of trends in the world of wine has enthusiasts raising their glasses in celebration. From a decline in corked bottles to an adventurous exploration of obscure grape varieties, the recent landscape of wine offers ample reason for oenophiles to rejoice.
The term “corked” in wine parlance refers to a wine contaminated with the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), often recognized as “cork taint.” TCA imparts a musty and off-putting aroma that can significantly mar the wine-drinking experience. Interestingly, the term “corked” is somewhat misleading, as TCA contamination can originate from various sources within a winery, not just corks themselves. Fortunately, encountering corked bottles has become a rare occurrence for many wine enthusiasts in recent times, marking a welcome shift in the industry.
Prominent figures in the wine world have noted this positive change. Katja Scharnagl, the beverage director of New York’s Koloman restaurant, and Caroline Styne, co-owner and wine director of the Los Angeles-based Lucques restaurant group, both shared their experiences of encountering significantly fewer corked bottles, attributing this improvement to the increased adoption of cork alternatives.
Richard Olsen-Harbich, a seasoned winemaker at Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue, N.Y., spoke about the prevalence of corked bottles throughout his four decades in the industry. However, he witnessed a transformative shift when he began using DIAM-brand corks, which undergo TCA testing. Olsen-Harbich expressed, “By 2015 I started bottling all my wines with DIAM corks, and I’ve yet to run into a corked bottle.”
DIAM introduced its “micro-agglomerated” corks, crafted from ground natural corks, in 2003. Employing the “Diamant process,” which utilizes “supercritical CO2” (carbon dioxide in a state between liquid and gas), the company eradicates any TCA that may have infiltrated the cork. According to Kevin Andre, North American sales director of DIAM Bouchage France, the company has not encountered a single TCA issue since implementing this process.
These developments offer a compelling glimpse into the ever-evolving world of wine, where innovation and dedication to quality continue to captivate enthusiasts and elevate the wine-drinking experience.
