To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle

I am a neophyte wine drinker, and I purchased this book to give me some detail on this subject. "To cork or not to cork" gave me that and much more. I feel much more informed and am now able to hold a meaningful discussion on the topic of the wine closure. I found this book's treatment of the history of the cork to make it much more interesting thatn one would expect at first glance.

This book is so much fun to read and also offers info that you wouldn't even think about looking up. Very happy with my find.

Having read "Judgment of Paris" by this author and frankly finding it a bit of a single topic disappointment, I happily discovered in this book that not only does the author choose a subject worth a whole book, but he also makes it an exciting read! Don't get me wrong - the cork vs. screwtop vs. synthetic cork debate may not interest everyone, but if you are interested in wine (and drink it at least a few times a week) this book will entertain you with a bit of science and lots of great anecdotal points to give the topic some juice. I've read maybe 10 wine books this Summer and this was by far my favorite. Whether you're still romanced by cork, a lover of plastic or a true lover of wine (Stelvin closures) this book thoroughly covers the topic and makes it interesting as well. Cork industry, beware!

TO CORK OR NOT TO CORK outlines the history of how wine has been protected over the years utilizing wonderful stories of successes and failures in protecting the "nectar of the the gods." George Taber's historical perspectives bring light from various perspectives as to what has been used to preserve wine from the oxidizing air. Wine makers want to protect their wines and provide their buyers with the best wine possible. Customers want the romance of "poping that cork." The cork industry wants to preserve its business. Mr. Taber looks at these various perspectives and provides further alternatives, like ZORKS. This book reads well and is broken out in manageable chapters for reading. I highly recommend this book for any wine lover. It will definitely open a new perspective in wine appreciation. George Taber's expereinces in writing for a national magazine for many years plus his love for wine make this book enjoyable reading. The passion reads well in this book!

To Cork or Not to Cork is the book the wine industry - and the wine drinker - has needed for a long time. While I spent about five minutes looking into corks and screw caps, George Taber managed to research the facts on closures like a crime-scene investigator, examine them like a neurotic physicist, and yet write like an old friend telling you his engaging life story. Even if by the end of the book I still felt that jamming a piece of tree bark into the neck of a wine bottle ranks right up there with playing in the NFL without a helmet, George has helped me realize that the perfect - and perfectly preserved - bottle of wine is still a work in progress. It won't be forever, though, now that George has enlightened us all. Don't just buy the book; buy George a drink to say thanks.