BudgetBacchus

Screw caps do not mean “cheap wine inside”. Let me repeat that. A wine bottle that is sealed with a screwcap instead of a cork has nothing to do with the quality of wine in the bottle. In fact, I’ve had many a bottle of wine that was sealed with a cork that was cheap, and lousy. So why all the hubbub about screwcaps versus corks? One reason is simply pretense. Someone paying for an expensive Bordeaux, whether to impress his date or a table full of Japanese businessmen doesn’t want to hear the same sound made by Micky’s Big Mouth when his bottle of wine is opened. Now of course that is not the only reason that people debate about screw caps (otherwise known as Stelvin closures), another is how the closure affects the aging of the wine but that debate is too long and boring to go into here.

One example of a quality wine sans cork is the 2009 Willamette Valley Chemistry. This Oregon blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Pinot Blanc, this wine is modeled after an Alsatian Edelzwicker. Alsace is a wine region in northwest France that produces some of the best white wines in the world. Edelzwicker translates to Noble (Edel) Blend (zwicker) and this wine is just that. It almost comes across like a Rhone blend with the fatness of Viognier but with refreshing acidity. It’s floral and tasty with great fruit, so much so that a friend of mine finished off close to the whole bottle by herself last night (however it didn’t end well.) I was lucky enough to drink a sample bottle of this wine which is to be released very soon. Look for it in the months to come at Whole Foods in Venice Beach.