I had the luck and pleasure to visit the Garofoli Winery while I was in Europe for the Electronica Show. One thing I found interesting about the winery was their willingness to embrace the latest technology in their process (where it didn’t impact on the quality of the wine). Many American wineries I have visited take pains to look old. Since the Garofoli winery doesn’t such self-consciousness issues (they can trace their lineage back to 1871), they mix the old and new wherever it is convenient.
The Garofoli wine cellar is huge, containing everything from bottles of sparkling wine being prepared “methode champagnois” to huge casks of aging reds. Daria Garofoli, the wife of the current owner, is the charming lady in the picture.
Go upstairs, though, and the scene jumps forward 200 years. Daria did lament that EU rules and shipping issues are pushing “real” corks out of the market.
Id rather have a bottle in front of me then a frontal lobotomy.
Hear hear for the corks…
those synthetic products just can’t compare…elas, cork is living organic matter, and that is prone to fungi… (cork is the bark of a tree, FYI)
PS.
(I live in the biggest cork producing country…)
I don’t want to nit pick but 2006-1871 = 136 year jump forward not 200.
I prefer cork too.
Let’s hear it for the cork soakers!
As an avid homebrewer, I can tell you that the “organic” corks don’t hold a candle to the new synthetic corks. They don’t contaminate the bottle, and are not prone to “corking” the bottle. Synthetic corks are much more uniform, and do as good a job, if not better than their “organic” cousins.
Many breweries in Belgium, the World Capitol of beer, are going the same way as this winery. They mix the old and new. This allows them to have a much more uniform product, while keeping the best aspects of the ancient art of brewing alive with the use of aging casks made of wood for flavor and aroma. Where no aroma or flavor is a factor, they use metal casks, which seal the product better, so that you get a better taste from it.
I am all in favor of using technology, when it is appropriate, and helps us to make better things. Often times, I see technology used for no good reason, other than bragging rites, and such. This is not effective use of technology, but I can see the good that can come from some technology in the brewing and wine-making industries.