Corkiness and soft corks

[Randy Caparoso]

Osjohng: I wish I could tell you that the problems related to oxidation due to bad storage, careless handling, and even just plain lousy winemaking have been more prevalent in certain areas of the world. But the fact is that such things are common everywhere. Producers like E & J Gallo, for instance, take great pains to make sure their wines are perfectly sound, but they can't control distributors, retailers and restaurants that mishandle their wines (although they try!).

Conversely, importers like Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant -- who expend an enormous amount of money on refrigerated containers to make sure their wines from France arrive into the U.S. in pristine condition -- can be quite nonchalant about the unpredictable, and often unstable, qualities of their wine since what they also strive to do is bring in wines that are as natural, organic, unfiltered and un-nothinged as possible. In other words, wines made almost purposefully with a tendency to be oxidized and/or volatile -- all in the name of more intense, primal flavors. Isn't wine buying fun?