Particulars on Wine

Why is it that virtually all of the higher-priced non-sparkling wines still come with corks-which cost the consumer extra-not with screw caps? The answer, ap­parently, is a combination of tradition, consumer psy­chology, and the fact that vintners are not yet convinced that caps won\'t corrode or work loose during long periods of aging. Besides, there is no question that a corked bottle is better looking, and the ceremony of drawing the cork (if it comes out, that is) imparts an indefinable something to the occasion. Let us also discuss another puzzling subject about which wineries are not talking-wine bottles.

Why must Burgundy types, both white and red, come only in the narrow-shouldered, broad-based bottles which distinguish these particular wines? Why the broad-shoul­dered, narrower-waisted Claret shape, the tall, slender Hock bottle, the straight-necked one for Sherry, or the bulbous-necked one for Port? The answer, so far as these shapes-completely meaning­less to the average consumer-are concerned, is that they are solely a matter of tradition. The same tradition, if honored completely, would require the British to drink their wines from the original bottle of their history; it was made of leather.

There are, nevertheless, two characteristics of tradi­tional bottles which have served useful purposes. One is the \"push-up\" in the base of some bottles. Although some believe that this device was originally intended to make the container seem larger than it really is, there is no doubt that in the early days, when most wines contained sediment, the sediment tended to form at the bottom, around the \"push-up.\" The other valuable aspect of the traditional bottles is their color. Europe\'s old-time vintners learned long ago that sun­light injures the flavor of wine. That is why they use dark-colored bottles.

But many American wineries have preferred to put their products in clear glass which lets the consumer see what he is buying. Recently, however, vintners with a college education have discovered that the sun\'s ultraviolet rays can spoil the taste of delicate wines, and also that these rays destroy certain vitamins in the wine. The newer trend, therefore, is again toward bottle colors which filter out ultraviolet light. This matter of light protection has not revived the post-prohibition attempt to popularize wine in cans-who wants to be one of those who would strip wine of all its romantic atmosphere?

Europe\'s old-time vintners learned long ago that sun