The big debate continues as pundits argue the cork versus plastic versus screw cap issue.
For centuries corks have been the efficient method of capping our wine bottles. The cork provides the elegance when opening a bottle, the manner in which the cork is removed via corkscrew provides a flare, an opening act if you will, with the best yet to come. For me it adds the anticipation and excitement that you just don't get with a screw cap. A cork denotes something different, not just another cola, but a special drink, an upscale moment, even if its a cheap wine, the cork makes it special.
It makes a difference, not just another generic drink, but one with atmosphere and panache.
I get the concern of tainted wine due to cork taint, I mean I have opened a wine bottle that you just knew wasn't quite right, the smell, even the acrid taste all due to the fungus created by TCA, the chemical that causes the bad reaction in the wine, but really isn't that like buying a fine automobile and hopping you get one with little to no bugs? Everything we make today has some imperfections that change or corrupt the product. We can complain about it, moan about the pros and cons, but in the end we go about fixing the problem. Is plastic the fix we want?
The plastic corks used in today's wine bottles do work, but are they the perfect fix. Do they allow the wine to age as corkage does? Are they better at preserving the taste of the wine?
Do they have the same aesthetic feel as cork? Do they provide the complete experience we want in our wine? Are we sure we want to use a product that may require some ecological fix in the future, similar to that of plastic water bottles, and soda containers? The answers to these questions today may be personal choices, but are these choices viable long term solutions?
We cannot discuss the debate without considering what plastic or any other alternative will do to the existing industry of farming cork. The majority of cork comes from Portugal and other Mediterranean spots. The tree farmers who expertly remove the the cork in layers every 9-11 years per tree, rely on this industry as their primary source of income. Will we be disabling an industry, especially since this issue of tainting may only affect 1-6% of the wines bottled by corks? I'm all for maintaining any industry that uses old world techniques that may be lost forever simply for the sake of change or to reach out for perfection in an imperfect industry such as wine bottling. We have seen way too many old world techniques lost due to modernization. When was the last time you actually knew someone who could gold leaf by hand, or could finish an elaborately carved piece of furniture by hand crafted methods of old? What about your local shoe cobbler? Yeah he has been gone a while. Why do we look down on these age old methods that work in exchange for mass produced replicas of the same?
Alright lets talk about screw caps now. I do believe that screw caps have their place, water bottles, soda pop, and milk bottles even are great with screw caps. They are easy to open, maintain the product well for the time period that they are needed in. Wine, if it is to be used soon, or stored in screw capped bottles for easy access, seems perfectly fine to me, but for the long-term I have concerns that screw caps cannot provide the same characteristics and long term capping needs as cork. Screw caps to me are similar to wine boxes, they may be fine as carriers of wine for short term needs, but lack the fine attributes you get from a corked bottle of wine that has aged for the last five to ten years.
What do you think? Tell me your opinions, old world craft versus new world modernization which is better? Which is preferred?
Til Later,
D.S. David
Friday, March 6, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A thoughtful muse.
While I truly feel that people in general can be kind, thoughtful and good natured, I more often than not find them in situations that demonstrate their selfish, demonic side. As I was growing up neighborly acts of kindness were an everyday event, the Mrs. next door made pies, always remembered to make an extra for us to enjoy, mom or dad went shopping and found a great bargain, they purchased multiples to be sure all the good neighbors got theirs.
Today it seems that everyone acts for themselves alone. Rarely do folks think of their friends or neighbors personal welfare. What happened to us? When did we become so self centered ?
It was often brought to our attention as children that if we consider others we ourselves will be richly rewarded, and we often found that to be just so.
I think about the many gardens, and grape arbors, and fruit orchards that surrounded us, no ever went hungry, and many willingly offered to help maintain them, as they knew that they too wold benefit from the harvest. Working together in our neighborhoods, towns, even suburbs can bring about the same good result. Many lending hands will make it better for all concerned.
If we police our neighborhoods, look out for our neighbors homes and property we will ultimately benefit. If we share our concerns and use our skills to help one another we can build trust and reliance that makes strong families into strong neighborhoods, and ultimately stronger cities.
I guess what brought all this on was watching the the many people users while here in Las Vegas. Solicitations for sex, gambling, continuous drinking that creates the atmosphere that allows one to be used further. It is interesting to me that in the same week one new giant casino has opened while two others file for bankruptcy. The daily news speaks to the billions in one time worth now devalued to almost nothing, everyone looses.
Its that way everywhere you look these days. The auto industry rapidly going under after years of abuse from management, unions, and labor alike, with ancillary industries shaking in their boots wondering what will happen to them if, if it happens and they go under. I guess we haven't really learned anything from the steel mills of a few years ago. The steel industry was booming, earnings were sky high, management was fat and happy, the unions representing their laborers became greedier and demanded more and more in benefits and pay. Soon the abuse by all ran the industry into the ground, mills could no longer maintain their large work forces and high expenses, in the little town where I grew up the mill that at one time employed 27,000, soon would lay off all but some 800, decimating the economy and workforce. The industry that could have, in fact should have cared for all, cared for none, all due to selfish greed and short cited thinking.
In a vineyard individuals cannot work alone, without everyone working to insure the harvest is brought in on time and the wine is made appropriately everyone ends up with either raisins or vinegar, not that they don't have their place, but not exactly the desired result.
So lets make wine, lets work together so we may enjoy the tasty result of our labors.
Sorry I was so long winded, but am I right? How do you feel about it?
Lets discuss it?
Til Later
D.S. David
Today it seems that everyone acts for themselves alone. Rarely do folks think of their friends or neighbors personal welfare. What happened to us? When did we become so self centered ?
It was often brought to our attention as children that if we consider others we ourselves will be richly rewarded, and we often found that to be just so.
I think about the many gardens, and grape arbors, and fruit orchards that surrounded us, no ever went hungry, and many willingly offered to help maintain them, as they knew that they too wold benefit from the harvest. Working together in our neighborhoods, towns, even suburbs can bring about the same good result. Many lending hands will make it better for all concerned.
If we police our neighborhoods, look out for our neighbors homes and property we will ultimately benefit. If we share our concerns and use our skills to help one another we can build trust and reliance that makes strong families into strong neighborhoods, and ultimately stronger cities.
I guess what brought all this on was watching the the many people users while here in Las Vegas. Solicitations for sex, gambling, continuous drinking that creates the atmosphere that allows one to be used further. It is interesting to me that in the same week one new giant casino has opened while two others file for bankruptcy. The daily news speaks to the billions in one time worth now devalued to almost nothing, everyone looses.
Its that way everywhere you look these days. The auto industry rapidly going under after years of abuse from management, unions, and labor alike, with ancillary industries shaking in their boots wondering what will happen to them if, if it happens and they go under. I guess we haven't really learned anything from the steel mills of a few years ago. The steel industry was booming, earnings were sky high, management was fat and happy, the unions representing their laborers became greedier and demanded more and more in benefits and pay. Soon the abuse by all ran the industry into the ground, mills could no longer maintain their large work forces and high expenses, in the little town where I grew up the mill that at one time employed 27,000, soon would lay off all but some 800, decimating the economy and workforce. The industry that could have, in fact should have cared for all, cared for none, all due to selfish greed and short cited thinking.
In a vineyard individuals cannot work alone, without everyone working to insure the harvest is brought in on time and the wine is made appropriately everyone ends up with either raisins or vinegar, not that they don't have their place, but not exactly the desired result.
So lets make wine, lets work together so we may enjoy the tasty result of our labors.
Sorry I was so long winded, but am I right? How do you feel about it?
Lets discuss it?
Til Later
D.S. David
Monday, March 2, 2009
So here I am in the lovely city of Las Vegas. What a wild and wonderful place. Everywhere you look colorful splashes of flavor, usually attached to one of the seven deadly sins, ha ha. If you like smacked in the face with sex, gambling, smoking and more sex with a few laughs thrown in then Vegas is your kinda town.
Large extravaganzas of glitzy shows, fireworks, girls, guys, all scantily clad, thousands of human like drones walking the many miles from one casino to the next, spending god knows what to have what they call a good time. So many young college kids here on spring break spending daddy and mommy's hard earned money on sex, booze, and as little food as possible. Deals can be had everywhere you turn, half price tickets, tickets at a discount, VIP tickets, you name your price no doubt you can find a seller, or a buyer. Buffets abound, some okay, some not so okay, some fairly good, but at every one enough food on display to feed a few third world countries and still what most eat tends to be the same burger, fries combo meals at three times the usual price.
What amazes me the most is the casual manner of dress of 99% of the crowd, shorts, some outrageous t-shirt and of course the obligatory flip flops or the $100 tennies. Everywhere you look young, old, middle age rs, even entire family's all dressed for a day in the park. You see them in the casino's, gray haired grannies, playing two and three nickel slots at a time, with the electric colored visor, the shorts, the t-shirts, the tennis shoes, sitting at their buttons, placing their bets while their electric scooters idle nearby, gently sipping their giant margaritas. Grandad isn't too far off either, he staked his claim to another bank of slots, only he is the family high roller, he plays the quarter slots.
Now I appreciate that everyone is here to relax have a little fun and enjoy, but why can't they do it with a little class? What happened to dressing for dinner? What about looking good while out on the town at night? When did we as a class of people become slobs?
I have to point out that I did see a few folks dressed nicely, but usually they were the foreigners who came to experience the glitz and glam of the Vegas of old. I remember when going out to a night club on the strip meant being dressed to the nines, in tux and gown. Where you went to view the high rollers and their entourage, watch them loose their money in bags and then see them buy a round for the gang while they took a break by taking in a performance of a great entertainer or singer. I guess those days slipped by me. Instead you can watch what appears to be a busload of America's fatest decimating a buffet in twenty minutes or less, dressed in the latest fashion from Omar the Tent maker and then washing it down with gallons of soda while waiting for the dessert table to replenish.
The saving grace of Vegas is that at night the bright lights and glitter seem to give way to a spectacular event that covers over the blight of the day. Here you can eat well, if you choose wisely, and drink to overkill simply by flashing your credit card, take in a show and have a grand ole time, regardless of the seamy surroundings of the homeless and the migrant workers who are on every street corner handing out invitations in the form of coupons to the hottest new strip show on the strip.
Please don't let it appear that I am not having a good time, because I really am. I so enjoy watching the masses do their thing and I am greatly entertained by their antics. Besides all that, I have had a few great meals here, with an occasional funny show, and some excellent wine at ridiculously low prices. Yes I am enjoying the fact that you can find an excellent Chardonnay or even White Zinfandel at $ 5.00 a bottle. Even saw an extraordinary Cabernet Saugvinion for just a few dollars more. I have enjoyed a good wine with every meal, the meals in our condo of course. That to me is a great find, since Nevada understands that to tax wine to death may mean the death of the wine. Cheers to them.
Meanwhile let me get back to my drinking in sin city, and I'll post more about my trip in abit.
Til then,
Tell me your Vegas story's, lets compare......
D.S. David
Large extravaganzas of glitzy shows, fireworks, girls, guys, all scantily clad, thousands of human like drones walking the many miles from one casino to the next, spending god knows what to have what they call a good time. So many young college kids here on spring break spending daddy and mommy's hard earned money on sex, booze, and as little food as possible. Deals can be had everywhere you turn, half price tickets, tickets at a discount, VIP tickets, you name your price no doubt you can find a seller, or a buyer. Buffets abound, some okay, some not so okay, some fairly good, but at every one enough food on display to feed a few third world countries and still what most eat tends to be the same burger, fries combo meals at three times the usual price.
What amazes me the most is the casual manner of dress of 99% of the crowd, shorts, some outrageous t-shirt and of course the obligatory flip flops or the $100 tennies. Everywhere you look young, old, middle age rs, even entire family's all dressed for a day in the park. You see them in the casino's, gray haired grannies, playing two and three nickel slots at a time, with the electric colored visor, the shorts, the t-shirts, the tennis shoes, sitting at their buttons, placing their bets while their electric scooters idle nearby, gently sipping their giant margaritas. Grandad isn't too far off either, he staked his claim to another bank of slots, only he is the family high roller, he plays the quarter slots.
Now I appreciate that everyone is here to relax have a little fun and enjoy, but why can't they do it with a little class? What happened to dressing for dinner? What about looking good while out on the town at night? When did we as a class of people become slobs?
I have to point out that I did see a few folks dressed nicely, but usually they were the foreigners who came to experience the glitz and glam of the Vegas of old. I remember when going out to a night club on the strip meant being dressed to the nines, in tux and gown. Where you went to view the high rollers and their entourage, watch them loose their money in bags and then see them buy a round for the gang while they took a break by taking in a performance of a great entertainer or singer. I guess those days slipped by me. Instead you can watch what appears to be a busload of America's fatest decimating a buffet in twenty minutes or less, dressed in the latest fashion from Omar the Tent maker and then washing it down with gallons of soda while waiting for the dessert table to replenish.
The saving grace of Vegas is that at night the bright lights and glitter seem to give way to a spectacular event that covers over the blight of the day. Here you can eat well, if you choose wisely, and drink to overkill simply by flashing your credit card, take in a show and have a grand ole time, regardless of the seamy surroundings of the homeless and the migrant workers who are on every street corner handing out invitations in the form of coupons to the hottest new strip show on the strip.
Please don't let it appear that I am not having a good time, because I really am. I so enjoy watching the masses do their thing and I am greatly entertained by their antics. Besides all that, I have had a few great meals here, with an occasional funny show, and some excellent wine at ridiculously low prices. Yes I am enjoying the fact that you can find an excellent Chardonnay or even White Zinfandel at $ 5.00 a bottle. Even saw an extraordinary Cabernet Saugvinion for just a few dollars more. I have enjoyed a good wine with every meal, the meals in our condo of course. That to me is a great find, since Nevada understands that to tax wine to death may mean the death of the wine. Cheers to them.
Meanwhile let me get back to my drinking in sin city, and I'll post more about my trip in abit.
Til then,
Tell me your Vegas story's, lets compare......
D.S. David
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