rcd@opus.UUCP (03/15/84)
A while back, I posted a question as to why wine racks are designed to
point the bottles at you and tilt them slightly downward - which makes the
labels distinctly hard to read. I've received some dozen responses telling
me what I already knew - that you want to store wine so that the cork stays
wet. As I pointed out back when, you can tilt a typical wine bottle up
to perhaps 30 deg. toward upright and the cork still stays wet. So I still
don't have an answer - why tilt the bottle downward? (Please don't write
again to tell me that it keeps the cork wet!) One reply seemed to say that
you need the cork not just wet, but completely covered - is there something
to this, and if so, why? (Remember that if even a fraction of the cork is
covered, capillary action will draw the wine up and around the cork.)
--
Cerebus for Dictator!
{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcdtjj@ssc-vax.UUCP (T J Jardine) (03/19/84)
Delving into memories of past research in this area, it seems to me that the problem relating to wine corks is not solely to keep them wet, but to prevent oxygen from getting into the bottle, thus oxidizing the wine and producing all those nasty acids, ketones and esthers! Keeping the cork 'damp' will tend to prevent the cork itself from decomposing. This helps to reduce oxidation but more importantly permits the cork to be removed in one piece. Keeping the cork 'thoroughly wet' reduces to a minimum the ability of oxygen and other pollutants gaining access to the wine. It also provides sufficient pressure so that, if the cork shrinks or otherwise separates from the neck, the wine will seep into the space. This permits the problem to become easily visible (wine dripping from the lead seal) and, if the wine has a tendency to crystallize or throw sediment, will aid in sealing the bottle. An added benefit to keeping the wine cork fully immersed in this fashion is that the sediment 'thrown' by some wines will collect on the bottom of the cork. If one knows what to look for, this can provide information on the state of the wine by inspection of the cork, visually and nasally, prior to tasting. This is most effective with wines that are very, very old. Wines that have a high sugar content are likely to form 'rock candy' crystalline structures on the inside of the cork -- this doesn't imply that these wines are bad. Hope this helps and that if my memory is slightly impaired that it will motivate someone with more recent data to contribute. "A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine" Ted Jardine -- TJ (with Amazing Grace) The Piper ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!tjj