Go Screw Or Put A Cork In It?

There's something romantic about opening a bottle of wine.

For wine eternal, corks plugging the bottles have been a tradition.  As a matter of fact, the entire experience is built around, to a large degree, the cork of a wine bottle.

So why are so many wine producers changing over to (gasp!) screw tops?

Numerous tests have demonstrated that in wines meant to be consumed within 10 years or less, screw caps are actually better.  They ensure that a wine won't be "corked" - a process that happens when the chemical compound TCA taints the wine.  

Corks allow a minute amount of oxygen into a bottle for the aging process which is why popular belief is that corks will still be the plug of choice for your bigger reds that are meant to age for years.

This year some information will be released by the University of California that should end some of the debate.  The school has teamed up with The Plumpjack Group, which owns two California wineries, for a two years study on the quality and the effectiveness of the screw cap.  

Want to look like a wine expert?  When you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant, like The Good Life, here are two little tips.

1) Don't smell the cork.  It'll smell like a cork.  You're supposed to smell the wine.

2) If a bottle is "corked", you'll know by the smell of the wine.  It will smell like wet cardboard.  When a server gives you a sample of the bottle you ordered, it's not to see if you like it (although you can feel free to taste it).  The idea behind this tradition is for the buyer to smell the wine to make sure it hasn't been tainted.

Come on in and check out our brand new selection of wine at The Good Life.  It's all insanely reasonably priced...and we're happy to let you keep the cork.  :)