French vintners flirt with heresy -- screw tops

[isilzha]

French vintners flirt with heresy -- screw tops

By EMMA VANDORE | AP Business Writer

11:21 AM CDT, April 27, 2008

CHABLIS, France - Fine French wine with a screw top?

At La Cote Saint Jacques restaurant, a Michelin three-star temple of gastronomy in the Burgundy region, chief sommelier Arnaud Laplanche isn't ashamed to give it a try.

He's part of a quiet revolution sweeping the French wine business, the world's largest and fighting to stay that way.

France's goal: to hold off New World winemakers that have wooed wine lovers and gained market share with jazzy marketing campaigns, helpful information on what's inside the bottle, and quality assurances that some French wines lacked.

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[Food Network Fan]

Wow and I thought the synthetic corks were going to cross the line for some people.

[bakerman]

I have heard wine experts say, that screw tops can work just as well as cork. Screw tops are less likely to harbor bacteria than cork.

MAC

[Food Network Fan]

I just can't picture anyone in with a French accent saying. "Shall I unscrew it for you?"

[BerryBaby]

I LOVE the screw top wines! No more tainted bottles and wasted money. Soon there will be more screw tops than corks, which is fine with me.

I would think they would start to say, "Can I decant this for you?" Sounds a lot better than, "Shall I unscrew this for you."

It isn't how you open something, it's what's inside that matters.

[Chefnot]

It might be fine but it has the image or reminds me of MD-20!

[BerryBaby]

I'm getting use to it. There are many of my favorites that have screw tops. Sometimes I decant it and put it in the fridge. But honestly, it doesn't matter to me if I pull out a cork or unscrew it. Unscrewing is a lot easier!

[ibcheft]

I really prefer the cork but my hope is now that they don't go to plastic bottles, we already have it in plastic bags just don't seem right. Some things are best left alone, good wine corks and glass bottles are one of them. A tainted bottle every once in awhile is something we can deal with. But wine bottles that have screw on lids or plastic bottles or wine in a box just not right. I think it takes away from the elegance of the situation, and that is what brings it to the meal, fine wine, fine food, good company and great service all go to the ambiance of dinner. To me if we take away these than we take away the experience of going out in style.

[Food Network Fan]

I have to admit I do get the boxes if I just want some to have a single glass in the evenings. But for a meal I want a bottle. I agree that it makes the meal special.