Gosh I hate corks (volume XIII)

[David M. Bueker]

1993 Kohler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Muscat Beerenauslese - corked.

At least you know there were no concerns over reduction or whether it was aging properly, right?

Black humour aside, that's a real shame. Thank god for producers like Gunderloch and Baumard who're putting everything under screwcap. Thirty years from now, those wines may be aging a little slower than otherwise but I'm pretty sure they won't suddenly turn out to be TCAed.

1993 Kohler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Muscat Beerenauslese - corked.

David, I've had a couple of corked bottles recently, but I still love corks. I figured the screwcappers would have won out by now, but I still don't see that many fine bottles with non-corks (maybe that's just because I drink mostly Bordeaux; maybe most other types of wines have switched - but I don't even see them that much on Cal Chards, which I also drink, and which are corked a lot more often than Bordeaux, at least in my experience). What's holding up the inevitable?

[David M. Bueker]

Change comes slowly, if it comes at all.

1993 Kohler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Muscat Beerenauslese - corked.

David, I've had a couple of corked bottles recently, but I still love corks. I figured the screwcappers would have won out by now, but I still don't see that many fine bottles with non-corks (maybe that's just because I drink mostly Bordeaux; maybe most other types of wines have switched - but I don't even see them that much on Cal Chards, which I also drink, and which are corked a lot more often than Bordeaux, at least in my experience). What's holding up the inevitable?

I was at a dinner table just last wednesday when a friend opened a 70 Lafite that he had cellared properly since it's release. Corked! I wish that had been my first experience with a corked Bordeaux, but far from it! Absurd, no other product has an acceptable defective rate like wine.

[David M. Bueker]

But Lou, opening the bottle was so romantic!

But Lou, opening the bottle was so romantic!

"Romantic" is dismissive in this context, and I concede that you probably mean it that way. It is too narrow. I think people make purchasing decisions for more than one emotional reason, or even a handful of rational ones.

I don't like to dance; I don't give my wife flowers very often; I don't say sweet things; and I hate romantic comedies, even romantic movies, but I love corks.

I think the whole attraction to the cork is very understandable (and it's not only about romance) and very interesting. I have been making a college try not to bore you or anybody else on this Forum with my theories about such things, so I will just let the market speak.

[Jenise]

I don't like to dance; I don't give my wife flowers very often; I don't say sweet things; and I hate romantic comedies, even romantic movies, but I love corks.

Because of corks, there's a certain ritualistic tension in the room every time one opens an older bottle that I'll admit is kinda fun. But having one crumble into 400 pieces in the neck of the bottle upon being violated by the cork puller, or finding out that a rare/valuable/treasured bottle was a waste of money and ancipation, or even having to pour a fairly inexpensive $30 bottle of champagne down the drain like we did last night, that's not so much fun.

IOW, I see both sides of the argument.

But having one crumble into 400 pieces...

I know, I identify with that. I told my wife tonight not to get too used to me, because I might crumble suddenly. I'll buy Japanese cars for reliability, but I want my wine to be like me.

Anyway, I hear what you are saying. And I know you know what I think about it, so...

But I can't wait to see where it all goes in, say, 20 years. It would be fun to be proven wrong right before I die.

But having one crumble into 400 pieces...

A brief addendum following a radio interview I listened to this morning with the author of a book entitled: You Are What You Drive. Not exactly novel, but he made an interesting suggestion about people who would choose a – either a Range Rover or Land Rover, whichever of the two has the reputation of breaking down more often than any other vehicle, save maybe the Jeep. He said these people identify with the potential breakdown as a form of an adventure, mixed with the safari gestalt. In contrast yawningly normal people drive Hondas, he said. He suggested if a Honda owner wakes up one morning thinking about something other than his boss, his kids, and how he is going to get through the day, he should drive the car into a field somewhere, beat the s--- out of it, and bring it back all dirty so that people can see he is an adventurer, if only for a moment. I was thinking that a book, You Are What You Drink, might capture some audience.

[David M. Bueker]

But having one crumble into 400 pieces...

A brief addendum following a radio interview I listened to this morning with the author of a book entitled: You Are What You Drive. Not exactly novel, but he made an interesting suggestion about people who would choose a – either a Range Rover or Land Rover, whichever of the two has the reputation of breaking down more often than any other vehicle, save maybe the Jeep. He said these people identify with the potential breakdown as a form of an adventure, mixed with the safari gestalt. In contrast yawningly normal people drive Hondas, he said. He suggested if a Honda owner wakes up one morning thinking about something other than his boss, his kids, and how he is going to get through the day, he should drive the car into a field somewhere, beat the s--- out of it, and bring it back all dirty so that people can see he is an adventurer, if only for a moment. I was thinking that a book, You Are What You Drink, might capture some audience.

I completely reject the author's premise. Range Rovers/Land Rovers are expensive, prestige vehicles. Their repair history has nothing to do with purchasing, the owner's need for visible prestige is the reason they own the cars.

He said these people identify with the potential breakdown as a form of an adventure, mixed with the safari gestalt. In contrast yawningly normal people drive Hondas, he said..

Well if his definition of 'normal' is having a preference for products that work, I guess he must experience lots of adventure in his daily life with all the lovely broken products in his surroundings.

Of course the notion that reliability can be traded off for other benefits is not very controversial, but one wonders what benefits these vehicles offer besides the supposed prestige associated with their high price tag. Surely there are other better cars for off-roading or for speed, etc.