I used to work in a wine and cheese shop. We had a customer who was
exceptionally good at detecting corked wines. He'd buy a bottle, get it
home, open and taste, realize it was corked, return it for refund. The
owner changed the policy. Instead of giving him cash or credit that
could be used on any other bottle, he started giving the guy another of
the same. The customer's extraordinary powers of corked detection ended.


Letting customers know that screw caps are actually better at preserving
wine than corks was another comedy. Part of me understands it. I love
the drama that accompanies serving wine, the presentation, the variety
of corkscrews, the way the cork is presented to the host. Even now,
screw caps are associated with low quality wine, almost as far down as
box wines. It is hard to go against centuries of ceremony.


--Lia