Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/347498
8 W i n e s & V i n e s A U G U s T 2 0 1 4 J ust two days before writing this column I saw my first glimpse of véraison for 2014. Berries on Pinot Noir vines along Henry Road in the Carneros district of Northern California were in that ephemeral moment when most berries remained green, a few had just turned gris, and one or two per bunch had progressed all the way to noir. For me, the first appearance of véraison always seems to come as a surprise. This year it's not my imagination, however. As Kate Lavin reports on page 15, the growing season in Cali- fornia vineyards got an early start, and the pace has continued ahead of average. Several observers, however, told her that they don't think har- vest will be as relatively early as bud break was. For selfish reasons we hope the crush is not too early, because we want you to be able to join us at the first Wines & Vines Packaging Con- ference, which will take place Aug. 20 in Napa. It's a one-day conference and trade show designed to bring winery personnel up to date on in- novations in packaging. Even more, the goal is to help you incorporate packaging decisions into winemak- ing and operations planning. For more information, see my syn- opsis on page 18. To register, go to winesandvines.com/events/wvpack, or simply call associate publisher Tina Vierra at (415) 453-9700, ext. 102, and she will handle it for you. Refining closures Speaking of packaging, this is the annual Closures Issue, in which we examine the newest developments in the design and manufactur- ing of natural corks and the alternatives. While the past year did not bring any revolutionary changes in closures, it did bring at least two significant evolutionary developments. Hence the cover headline, "Refining Closures." The biggest closure concern of our era is that of TCA. The per- sistent problem of "corked" wines has been the primary instiga- tor of change. Screwcaps, synthetics and glass stoppers evolved in reaction to the TCA problem. In most ways these alternatives did solve the TCA problem. TCA also spurred improvements in natural cork harvesting, manufacturing and quality control that have led to a measurable and welcome reduction in the number of bad corks. The latest refinement in quality control is something that probably no one would have considered 10 years ago: testing each individual natu- ral cork in a bale by nose. On page 36 Andrew Adams describes this laborious process, which a few wineries are now using for small lots. A more widely embraced change in closures is the new avail- ability of choices in oxygen transmission rates (OTR) from all major closure types except natural cork. Screwcaps offer them, synthetics offer them, and even some agglomerates offer them. Jane Firstenfeld writes about these options (page 26) that enable winemakers to select one closure for delicate white wines, another for red wines meant to be consumed ASAP, and another for structured red wines that should age more slowly to de- velop bottle bouquet. So now, in addition to an assur- ance of consistency in product qual- ity and performance from one clo- sure to the next, alternative closures offer an option that natural corks don't. Natural cork is quite variable in OTR from one cork to the next. In fact, it's difficult to imagine now how natural cork in its pure form could ever claim OTR consistency. Yet some natural cork manufactur- ers have apparently achieved this al- ready through today's sophisticated agglomerated closures made from particles of natural cork. Natural cork leads Even with all the new options, thou- sands of winemakers and a majority of U.S. consumers still choose natu- ral cork. It is one of the attractions of wine for many people, and an in- dicator of authenticity and tradition. It is an indicator in another way, too. When a research study looks at clo- sure types, it usually accepts natural cork as the standard to emu- late in terms of OTR. The charts compare oxygen ingress over time in the bottle from various closures to natural cork. Researchers, winemakers and wine collectors accept that the way mature bottles of Opus One or Ridge Monte Bello have aged under cork for 30 years is the proper way that wine should age (except for the inevitable bad corks). Looking at closures this way, it appears that natural cork is still leading the way. A final reminder: Closures are one important focus of the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference, so to learn more first-hand about the subject, please join us Aug. 20. E D I T O R ' S l E T T E R The past year brought at least two significant evolutionary developments in closures. Conference and harvest nearing Better closures are one element of the Wines & Vines Packaging Conference