In the debate about cork vs. screw top that takes place on an ongoing basis in the wine world, the argument usually is made that because of a shortage of cork, the move to screw tops is inevitable.
Now, however, The Independent in the UK reports that "up to three quarters of the unique cork oak forests of the Mediterranean could be lost within 10 years because of the increasing popularity of the screw-top wine bottle," which would threaten "the survival of one of Europe's most important wildlife habitats" as "environmentalists argue that the projected demise of the Mediterranean cork oak forests will result in the loss of 62,500 jobs as well as a habitat loved by the endangered Iberian lynx, the Barbary deer, the black vulture and the imperial Iberian eagle."
According to the story, "WWF - formerly the Worldwide Fund for Nature – is lobbying for the wine industry to reverse its headlong rush to screw tops and plastic stoppers in the hope of preserving a man-made habitat that is rich in wildlife."
Now, however, The Independent in the UK reports that "up to three quarters of the unique cork oak forests of the Mediterranean could be lost within 10 years because of the increasing popularity of the screw-top wine bottle," which would threaten "the survival of one of Europe's most important wildlife habitats" as "environmentalists argue that the projected demise of the Mediterranean cork oak forests will result in the loss of 62,500 jobs as well as a habitat loved by the endangered Iberian lynx, the Barbary deer, the black vulture and the imperial Iberian eagle."
According to the story, "WWF - formerly the Worldwide Fund for Nature – is lobbying for the wine industry to reverse its headlong rush to screw tops and plastic stoppers in the hope of preserving a man-made habitat that is rich in wildlife."
- KC's View:
-
It would be vastly more entertaining if the other WWF were involved in this fight. But that's probably hoping for too much.
We thought all along that we were just being a traditionalist in our position that screw tops were taking us away from the magic of wine that the sound of a cork being removed from a bottle represents. Go figure – we also were being a conservationist.
There's our new battle cry: "Save The Cork, Toast The Survival Of The Endangered Iberian Lynx." (Not exactly "Save The Whales," but it's a start…)
