Mrs. Vino Uncorked

Recently I visited my local wine shop to pick up one of my favorite bottles of wine. I was heartbroken to see that the winemaker had made the change from cork to screw top. As a wine professional, I have my preferred position in the cork-vs.-screw top debate. We won’t be re-examining that argument here. Instead, I have a very visceral reason to prefer wines with corks to wines with screw top closures.

I completely understand that a screw top wine is easier and more convenient. I recognize that 97% of wine is consumed within three days of purchase. But wine is more than just a beverage.

Wine is a celebration. Big: A birthday. A promotion. A special dinner out. Small: Friday. Wednesday. A new lipstick. A great pizza. All green lights on the ride home. In these challenging economic times, wine is a small luxury that helps us celebrate both large milestones and tiny daily victories.

For me, opening a bottle of wine involves a ritual that is a call to the senses. Take a bottle of white wine out of the cooler. Notice how the light reflects off the glass? The bottle is heavy and cool in your hand. It has substance. Weight. Importance. As the bottle reaches the kitchen counter, it begins to sweat. Each perfect droplet beads on the outside of the bottle. The bottle becomes jeweled by the little droplets.

Do you peel the capsule quickly or slowly. Some days, I prefer slowly. On these days, removing the foil is an unveiling. A tease. Somedays, I prefer quickly. I can almost taste the wine as I open the bottle and can’t wait for the first perfect sip. On these days, removing the foil is like kicking off your high heels the second you walk in your front door after a hard day at work.

Do you feel just the tiniest bit bad as the worm of the opener pierces the cork? The rhythm of the corkscrew against the cork is like music. As the opener begins to remove the cork from the bottle, the music builds. And, the crescendo? When the cork is freed from the bottle with that perfect POP, I can only smile. That is the signal for my taste buds to begin tingling in anticipation.

Try as I might, I cannot create a ritual that involves unscrewing a cap. That is the same process I use for my toothpaste every morning. So frequently in life we get mired in the day-to-day and forget to lift our heads and celebrate what we can. I think that now, this is more important than ever. So, for now, I remain uncorked.

Cheers!
Mrs. Vino