Château Ducru-Beaucaillou's Recorking Machine

Everyone loves corks. Despite the evolution of screw caps, we all appreciate the magic in pulling the cork (or having a waiter do the job!) from a fine bottle of wine.

No surprises then that Bordeaux show no signs of following such regions as New Zealand and Australia. Nevertheless, the fact remains that a cork's integrity can only be guaranteed for 30 to 50 years, so for top crus like Second Growth Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, recorking old vintages is very important.

But how does it actually work? Here, together with Ducru's owner, Bruno Borie, we give you something like a Discovery Channel documentary on the process. You'll find out just how their machine allows the cork to be replaced without oxygen or anything else damaging the wine. Enjoy.

-JMS