More than one in 30 bottles of wine sold in retail are tainted by mustiness, oxidation or some other defect, a shock new study has revealed. The finding, highlighted in an 18-month study by the Wine and Spirit Association, is likely to step up the debate on faulty wine closures. The WSA said it planned to hold a summit meeting with cork industry bosses after bottles using the traditional closures displayed by far the highest rate of taint. Out of more than 13,000 samples, 94 cork-closed bottles were musty, while a further 178 were believed to be either oxidised or displaying other defects. Total instances of taint for synthetic closures and screw caps were just 25, although they made up a far smaller percentage of the bottles surveyed. However cork industry bosses stressed the rate of mustiness in cork-closed wines equated to just 0.7% and was "significantly lower than the unsubstantiated figures previously assumed". But Joana Mesquita, spokeswoman for Portuguese cork association APCOR, said: "Even 0.7% is too high and we are involved in a number of initiatives to eradicate faults." Lindsay Talas, project development manager (wine) at Tesco, one of 18 companies and retailers to collaborate with the study, said: "I don't think it spells the end for cork, rather the need for a quick solution." l See p54. {{NEWS }}

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