Karin Leeuwenhoek is a theologian, vinologist and communications scholar. She has ninety Italian olive trees, but mostly loves wine - and philosophising about it. See also her wine blog vinoblogie.co.uk. She writes a column in every issue of WINELIFE Magazine.
Jancis Robinson recently wrote extensively about her experiences with the same wines that had been sealed with a cork as well as a screw cap. I have also written a lot about it in the past. And discussed it, especially with Dr Paulo Lopes from Portugal. Perhaps this expert is a tad biased, as he works for Amorim, the largest cork producer on earth. But as an esteemed scientist, he also has a lot to lose; he really doesn't want to look like a joker. Comparative research on wine closures and the ageing of wine is his joy and his life.
I don't want to make it too technical, but when there is too much oxygen in wine, we speak of oxidation and when there is too little oxygen, we speak of reduction. Oxidation leads to parched, mature tones and reduction to closed and sulphurous tones in the wine. Fortunately, with some extra time and oxygen in the bottle or glass, reduction can still be fine. Once the worst of the matcha fumes have dissipated, fresh fruit and other sparkling, vibrant aromas can still emerge from the wine. But if a wine is truly oxidised, it is simply too late. And what you really don't want either: TCA, or cork contamination from a faulty cork. The smell of mould and dirty dishcloths.
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