This week saw a debate rage on the wine blog-o-sphere that I have not taken the dive into on this site, other than by leaving a few comments on a few other blogs. This article in Decanter magazine on a recent push by the WWF to promote corks over screw caps has touched off a firestorm of debate. They published a PDF report on the issue that lays out why cork is better than screw caps or plastic corks. Tom over at Fermentation and Alder over Vinography have both chimed in on the issue and for the most part I agree with them. While I do support the cork producers and their goal of staying business, I none-the-less feel that they can’t see the future through the cork trees. Alternatives will win out for some but not all of the wines out there. Denying this is like refusing to upgrade to DSL just because you like the sound of dial up as it tries to connect to your computer. Personally I feel that the cork industry simply needs to accept and adapt to the inevitable. Also shame on the WWF for stepping into something with a one sided view of the issue. Cork has many uses and why can’t the WWF address the fact that things like cork flooring could help to alleviate the problem, not just cork stoppers. I really am tired of this discussion and since the APCOR continues to refuse my requests for an interview, I figure they must not have anything new to say or are afraid to deal with the possibility of other views.

On another note. Some of you may wonder how I get around as I wander the back roads of Spain. Often it’s a bus, sometimes a plane, rarely a train(terrible service here and slow) and sometimes I rent a car. For this last part I want to bestow a warning to all of you out there. If you come to Spain to cruise the roads looking for wine don’t, I repeat don’t, rent from Pepecar. This is a company that rents very cheap cars in Spain and because of this I’ve tried to use them 3 separate times. The first time was a decent experience, the second time bad and the third time a disaster. Pepecar and customer service are not compatible words, and in the end the headache that comes from saving a few pennies with Pepecar on my rental fee, are not worth the time or risk of them deciding they don’t want to rent to you at the last minute. So if you were waiting for a report from LaMancha like I mentioned in my last podcast, please hang on, it’s coming. I just won’t be able to do it this week. Oh and if this makes you sad, send some thanks to Pepecar!

If your interested in my testimonials or want a good story let me know…I’ll tell you why Pepecar is far from a smart choice!

Till soon, Ryan