Don’t Let Screwcaps Scare You
It used to be that a wine with a screw top was considered “cheap” and/or inferior to those stopped with corks. And though some studies suggest that wines tend to age better when a cork is used to seal a bottle, the truth is that the enclosure used has no effect on wines that will be opened and enjoyed within a year of bottling — and that accounts for at least 90% of all the wine consumed in the USA. Because of this, and the fact that screwcaps (a.k.a., stelvin enclosures) are simply more convenient and immune to “cork taint” (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, or “TCA”), we are seeing many, many wine bottles that don’t require a corkscrew — at all price points, and for all quality levels.
A number of bottles in the Opici Wines portfolio are enclosed with screwcaps, and one of them — Due Torri Pinot Noir — was recently highlighted as #3 on Wisebread’s list of 10 Great Wines Under 10 Dollars:
Due Torri Pinot Noir 2009 (Italy)
Don’t be fooled by the screw top; this wine can compete with any of its corked counterparts. Dry and soft, this wine loves pesto or a rare steak. It has a velvety texture and an oaky finish that is perfectly balanced and easy going down. Though slightly higher in price, this wine is well worth the money.
Indeed, Due Torri Pinot Noir is one of the best bargains in Pinot Noir you’ll find, and it stays true to the varietal’s fresh and easygoing character. Due Torri is a secondary brand produced by Cesari — the winery best known for its fabulous Amarone wines.
Cabernet Day on Twitter
Have you heard about “Cabernet Day” on Thursday, September 2? All you need is a Facebook or Twitter account and a bottle of Cabernet to participate in a worldwide virtual wine tasting.
The tasting was organized by Rick Bakas of St. Supery winery in California, and it is expected to be one of the largest Twitter Tastings ever — so you can be part of history by joining in!
From the CabernetDay event page:
Celebrate the king of grapes on ALL social media sites
Thursday, September 2nd.
This is going to be an all-day virtual and in-person event.
Use the #Cabernet hash tag when posting on Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Twitter, blogs and all the other sites you hang out on. Search the hash tag on social sites to see what other wine drinkers are saying. You’ll be able to connect and chat with other Cab drinkers around the world.
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet dominated blends are welcome!
What will you be opening? An old vintage that’s been waiting in your cellar? A new release? Something you’ve never tried before?
Opici Wines will be posting notes on a few wines from our portfolio — you can find out which ones by following us on Twitter @opiciwines and reading our tweets on Thursday.
Meantime you may want to pick up one of these wines from your local retailer for Cabernet Day:
Carpineto “Farnito” Cabernet Sauvignon
De Martino 347 Cabernet Sauvignon 
De Martino Legado Cabernet Sauvignon
De Martino Organic Cabernet-Malbec
Due Torri Cabernet Sauvignon
Fattoria di Magliano “Bestiale”
Kinien Cabernet Sauvignon
KWV Cabernet Sauvignon
KWV Roodeberg
Luiano “Lui”
Ruca Malen Cabernet Sauvignon
Yauquen Cabernet Sauvignon
