I love the romance of corks and the love affair ends right about there... :)
As to corks if you use them buy good ones. If it feels hard like wood, buy something else, it's not a good cork. It should give with a little pressure. If I make a really heavy red I will use corks. I have some 98 Chancellors under good corks and they are just coming around now. I might be nervous about using a synthetic there, the unknowns can be a bad thing. Most synthetic manufacturers say they are good for a few years. Very good corks are good for 20.
I have been using synthetics for a while. I like Nomacorc, I have some reds from 2002 under them that are doing just fine. I think Guardian is OK too but it's stiffer and just feels loose, especially in a burgundy bottle. I quit using Supremecorq because I did note a significant drop in sulfite levels with it.
I would not reuse screw caps, I would try to find new ones. There are American threads and European, most I see are European and I can't find a new screw-cap with those threads.
Joe
How do you operate a small winery 322Maybe there is a bit of a difference in winemaking culture between Texas and other regions such as the the Pacific Northwest. While it is true that Texans tend to be...
