In hindsight, I suppose it's not surprising that an industry that prefers expensive, unreliable corks over cheap, reliable screw tops might eschew technology. If only it were that easy to figure out ahead of time.
OTOH that's also a data issue: some of the top quality US and even French producers are trying the Stelvin and other new tech closures, but it'll take 30-40 years to know if they're as good as the cork (but without the 10% spoiling problem). They hope so. Prmeability, reduction and all sorts of complex chemical issues are on the line, and it's not a linear, rctuangular, clockwork modernist problem!
And.. it's again a customer-driven thing. People like the ritual of a cork. It's soft data, but oh so important. Take a long time for people's expectations and preferences to change as many blind-utopian technologists find to their cost.
As an off-topic aside, it's worth noting that not all parts of the industry are so backwards in regards to bottle-sealing technology http://www.screwcapinitiative.com/ [edit: beware somewhat spammy industry-association link]
For instance, pretty much all New Zealand wine producers/exporters have been using screw-caps, even on expensive fine wines, since 2001.
Comments
In hindsight, I suppose it's not surprising that an industry that prefers expensive, unreliable corks over cheap, reliable screw tops might eschew technology. If only it were that easy to figure out ahead of time.
OTOH that's also a data issue: some of the top quality US and even French producers are trying the Stelvin and other new tech closures, but it'll take 30-40 years to know if they're as good as the cork (but without the 10% spoiling problem). They hope so. Prmeability, reduction and all sorts of complex chemical issues are on the line, and it's not a linear, rctuangular, clockwork modernist problem!
And.. it's again a customer-driven thing. People like the ritual of a cork. It's soft data, but oh so important. Take a long time for people's expectations and preferences to change as many blind-utopian technologists find to their cost.
As an off-topic aside, it's worth noting that not all parts of the industry are so backwards in regards to bottle-sealing technology http://www.screwcapinitiative.com/ [edit: beware somewhat spammy industry-association link]
For instance, pretty much all New Zealand wine producers/exporters have been using screw-caps, even on expensive fine wines, since 2001.