and Screw Tops Too
Great wines are increasingly a function of Technology and Tradition. The influence of modern wine technology is evident in the ability of wineries to constantly introduce improvements to the quality, consistency, and extraordinary value of wine today. The traditionalist attempts to retain a precise duplication of original methods of production in a pure and faithful commitment to old school techniques and routines. These objectives might appear to be in conflict, yet it is often a synthesis of these two approaches that produce the world class results we now enjoy. Today this relates to two somewhat controversial ideas about premium wine: Screw Tops and Pasteurization.
Screw Tops, until very recently, were traditionally reserved for jug wines, table wines and generally low cost, non vintage selections, including grape juice. Early wine jugs and containers were typically sealed with a layer of oil, wax or paraffin until corks came into wide spread use until the mid 1700’s. Premium wines retained the tradition of the cork stopper even though it is the natural cork that harbors a bacterium called TCA which is short for (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) and produces chemicals which can cause wine to be tainted. It is responsible for a “corked” (moldy cardboard) character and even in mild cases can reduce the aromas and weaken the flavor. Estimates range from 4 to 5% (some studies make it over 10%) of wine is affected at some level. This is the very reason that when the wine is opened at your table in a restaurant, a small sample of wine along with the cork, is presented while the waiter waits for your verdict.
Another feature of natural cork is that it is not a true hermitic seal and allows for some micro-breathing in long term storage that is considered important for the aging process. The question remains if this is blessing or a curse. Horizontal storage is required to keep the cork from drying out. Leakage can and does occur yet it may well be necessary for some of the classic red, aged varietals like Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Bordeaux
Synthetic cork offered some relief as it provided that familiar “pop” or romantic effect that is part of the “experience” of opening a bottle of wine. It does not break and crumble with age, but it still seems artificial, it is expensive and often very hard to get out of the bottle. I recall a personal experience where we broke two corkscrews at a Passover Seder. We were left with much anxiety and very few creative options.
Today some of the finest wineries in the world have now adopted screw-top closures. Swiss wine leads with virtually 100 percent screw-top bottling. In New Zealand Australia California
Will the wine cork eventually go the way of the slide rule and buggy whip? Only time will tell.
Pasteurization is a far more complicated issue and it is easy to get lost in the details of both Halacha (Jewish Law) and biochemistry. I’ll try to keep reference to both a practical minimum here. For further reference, an interesting discussion on the Halacha can be found at: http://www.koltorah.org/ravj/15-28_Yayin_Mevushal_and_Non-bservant_Seder_Guests.htm
As for the biochemistry, it has been my experience that there is only so much the average reader can take before they start to glaze over so I’ll try not to make it too dry. (pun intended)
Most people are aware of the contribution Louis Pasteur, in the late 1800’s, made when he demonstrated his process of controlled heating and cooling in order to destroy bacteria in order to stabilize milk. Fewer are aware that an earlier application of his same principals with wine solved a major economic problem in France
Mevushal - Literally “cooking or boiling” in Hebrew.
Wine has a very special status in our traditions. It has its very own blessing. Jewish law requires that wine must be not only be kosher but further must be “mevushal” to be consumed in the mixed company of Jews and gentiles (some hold for even observant and non-observant Jews). This stringency poses a special challenge for restaurants and mixed-company banquets or meals, but it is rooted in the Torah’s condemnation of idolatry.
Stam yayin and yayin nesech.
Wine has been used for many purposes, including as a libation offering (or pouring) in a religious service, often for idolatry or pagan worship. The Torah’s prohibition against idolatry is so strong that it was important to include in the prohibition the liquid employed in this non-kosher use, and a clear separation was established. Wine denoted for this purpose was called yayin nesech—literally, libation wine. The Talmud tells us that the traditional process of cooking so degraded the quality of the wine that it was deemed inferior and thus never used for pagan worship. (Avoda Zara 29b). To distinguish it from stam yayin (which means regular wine), our sages decreed that only mevushal wine be used.
When wine is boiled in open vats causing alcohol to evaporate the taste is noticeably degraded. Even pasteurization that occurs in a closed system it can take on a cooked, sherified or maderized character if the temperature is high enough for long enough. However there is a technique called “flash pasteurization” which occurs in a in a closed system, with modern equipment, and is done using a rapid heating and cooling cycle. If wine is heated to at least 80 degrees C (175 Degrees F) it has been ruled as acceptable for mevushal for modern times.
Flash pasteurization methods have allowed international, award winning results even with dry, red, mevushal wine on the international scene, with most semi-sweet and sweet varieties having virtually no discernible difference. Most bottles (often in Hebrew - מבושל) will be marked, but if it is not marked it should be considered non-mevushal. A few wines are available in both mevushal and non-mevushal versions. Since pasteurization has the consequence of killing microorganisms, which can be useful for further maturity during the aging process, most mevushal wines are, ready to drink on bottling and do not benefit from lengthy cellaring. But the benefit is that it will be very shelf stable which is particularly useful for many varietals that are ready to drink on bottling yet prone to decline over time.
When this is done well it is almost impossible to perceive. I maintain it is well beyond the ability of most people and even most wine enthusiasts. Premium wine, in general, takes an increasingly sophisticated and highly developed palate to discern the subtle nuances. I do not claim to have developed the skills of a Robert Parker (recognized by many as the worlds foremost wine authority) but I would also conservatively place my skills well into the 99th percentile and I freely admit that I often can perceive no effect. Here are some notable examples of new releases you may be seeing in your favorite kosher restaurant or may just want to try on your own.
The real test is to prove it to yourself and do a comparative tasting. You can always reach me at: maurie@guidetokosherwine.com
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