Klarinet Archive - Posting 000290.txt from 1994/02

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: Popping corks and other ramblings
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 1994 06:49:01 -0500

On Sun, 20 Feb 1994, Jordan Selburn wrote:

> I dabble a bit in
> collecting wine (primarily drinking it, actually) - there the corks can be
> under continuous compression for decades, not weeks, at a time without
> suffering serious degradation. Of course, the two situations are not
> completely comparable (the cork in wine is continuously moistened) but a
> good cork seal in wine is expected to last well in excess of 25 years.

I've also got a collection of wine bottles destined for consumption. The
eldest have been lying in my "cellar" for about 15 years and I have only
seen one or two bottles ruined by bad corks. One way or the other, no one
expects the cork in a bottle of wine to last very long if the bottle is
stored in an upright position. This results in the corks shrinking just like
they do on assembled clarinets. Constant moistening is a very important
factor.

I have noticed, however, that removing the cork from a bottle of wine
prior to playing a clarinet often improves my perception of the ensuing
performance :-)