The debate over whether to uncork or unscrew your wine bottle has made its way to Long Island wine country, Newsday reports.
Paumanok Vineyards of Riverhead, N.Y., has become the first area winery to install a screw-cap bottling line on select bottles. (Corks remain the bulk of the offerings, for now.)
Winemaker Kareem Massoud said it’s not primarily a matter of cost or convenience, but quality. About 1 percent of corks spoil the wine they’re supposed to seal and protect, he said, perhaps understating the cork taint problem. “That’s 1 percent more than we care to lose.”
The option to use screw caps also will be offered to Paumanok customers who buy wine futures — allowing them to have current vintages stored away in screw-cap bottles in a mode that is likely to ensure a greater yield and longevity. Users also can choose whether they want the screw cap lined with tin or a rubber-like material, Massoud said.
Meanwhile, more than half of all wine sold at Britain’s biggest supermarket chain now comes in screw-top bottles.
Tesco said 55 to 65 percent of wine in its stores had made the switch away from traditional corks.
