Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker
Dale Williams wrote:Hmm. So they say it's BS. Meanwhile they have sections of their "corkfacts" website where they spout this argument.
Trustworthy bunch indeed!
Mediterranean Cork Oak Forests at Stake in Wine Closure Battle
LONDON, UK, May 15, 2006 (ENS) – Every year over 15 billion cork stoppers are produced and sold to the wine industry, but the increasing popularity of plastic and screw top closures could spell the end for the cork oak forests of the western Mediterranean, an environmental group warns.
Issued on the eve of the International Wines and Spirits Fair that opens Tuesday in London, a new report by the global conservation organization WWF predicts that three-quarters of the western Mediterranean’s cork oak forests could be lost within 10 years.
The survival of these unique forests depends upon the market for cork wine closures, but the WWF report, "Cork Screwed?" says the trend away from cork stoppers could lead, in the worst case scenario, to synthetic and screw tops holding 95 percent of the wine closure market by 2015.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2006/2006-05-15-01.asp
Dale Williams
Compassionate Connoisseur
11127
Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:32 pm
Dobbs Ferry, NY (NYC metro)
Ian Sutton
Spanna in the works
2558
Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:10 pm
Norwich, UK
Dale Williams wrote:Shockingly enough, APCOR (which I believe Amiorim is a member?) is one of the RSPB's largest financial supporters
Sue Courtney wrote:To go back to the original topic - rather than get sidelined on TCA .....
I wonder, how did these trees survive before corks for wine bottles came along?
And if they stop making corks for wine bottles (which is unlikely to happen for a long, long time yet anyway), why will the trees die?
Hoke
Achieving Wine Immortality
11420
Sat Apr 15, 2006 1:07 am
Portland, OR
JoePerry wrote:Sue Courtney wrote:To go back to the original topic - rather than get sidelined on TCA .....
I wonder, how did these trees survive before corks for wine bottles came along?
Not that I feel that protecting cork for the sake of cork forests is a valid argument, but I will say that things aren't the same outside of NZ, Sue. Cork trees survived prior to stoppers the same way all other trees did; we didn't cut them down faster than they could grow (or, at least, there were so many that it didn't seem that way). When something like a tree loses the revenue attached to it, it doesn't matter how majestic or habitat-providing it is, it suddenly becomes a disposable impediment in making money - be it property value, lumber, whatever.
Sue Courtney wrote:
Joe, you obviously didn't read in the sarcasm of my statement.
Eric Ifune
Ultra geek
196
Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:51 pm
Las Vegas, NV and elsewhere
One case is the Giant Sequoia which is the world's biggest and oldest surviving organism. You'd think these would be protected right? Especially if they had National protection?
Robin Garr wrote:It certainly wouldn't surprise me to see the Portuguese cork industry aligning with NGOs that foster environmental protection in the cork forests, for good reasons and perhaps for not-so-good reasons. Give them credit, though, for pulling away from the sensationalistic (and easily disproven) wails of anguish ... and for being willing to say so. I would have been surprised to seem them making overt statements about that on the Amorim Website in contradiction with their own stated position on it.
David M. Bueker
Riesling Guru
34281
Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:52 am
Connecticut
Robin Garr wrote:I would suggest, though, that each of us consider our own attitudes and beliefs about cork and alternative closures, and then consider the extent to which they sway us from clear, logical analysis.
John D. Zuccarino wrote:Finally technology has arrived in time to eliminate TCA to maybe one in 1,000,000. I think that this is a very good start for the future of the coark industry. Many problems have come up due to alternative closures some resulting in multi million dollar settlements. The distain for the cork has everyone foaming at the mouth and turning a blind eye to the failure of some new closures. Again all of the anti cork people turn away and say well, let’s give it one more chance. I turn the same question around if you are willing to partake in the grand closure experiment so be it. Just remember we won’t know what will work for over 30 years until the wines are put to the age-old test.
What we can all do is one thing stop posting and let this dog of a post die. Sour Grapes on this topic. I commend Robin for his patience and his open mindedness to let this post run its course.
So unless we want to go on talking about this for the next 30 years let’s stop posting and give Robin a break.
David M. Bueker
Riesling Guru
34281
Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:52 am
Connecticut
Graeme Gee wrote:I thought it a quite civil discussion. If it had been talked about for the last 30 years we wouldn't still be sitting here recounting tales of wines ruined by packaging - it might have been fixed in 1981...
cheers,
Graeme
David M. Bueker wrote:If I see a screwcap or even a glass closure I know there's no taint.
David M. Bueker wrote:Exactly. This is our form of civil disobedience.
Hey, we could have a sit-in.
Anybody want to storm the Dean's office?
Hoke
Achieving Wine Immortality
11420
Sat Apr 15, 2006 1:07 am
Portland, OR
Anybody want to storm the Dean's office?
Dale Williams
Compassionate Connoisseur
11127
Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:32 pm
Dobbs Ferry, NY (NYC metro)
Robin Garr wrote: But when I see arguments like, "WWF is spouting Iberian Lynx extinction on the eve of a great wine conference, so Big Cork must somehow be involved in that," I'm slightly tempted to say, "Hey, that's a non-sequitur," since I'm under the impression that Big Cork gave up that argument in the '90s. Even if WWF did not.
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