Associated Press

DAVIS - University of California, Davis students have invented a way to bottle wine that combines the breathability of cork with the reliability and convenience of a screw cap.

The invention won the university’s annual Big Bang business plan contest and $15,000 in startup funding this week.

The patent-pending design is a 5-cent plastic and metal disk beneath a screw cap. Like cork, the cap lets in just enough oxygen so the wine can age properly.

Winemaker and business school student Tim Keller says his team’s invention can be adjusted for different wines. For instance, pinot noir needs a little oxygen, while cabernet sauvignon needs a lot.

Vintners want cork alternatives because cork can produce a musty-smelling compound.

Effective July 1, Georgia residents may order up to 12 cases of wine a year from any winery in the country, including Georgia. Surprisingly, Sony Perdue signed House Bill 1061 into law on May 13 and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia didn’t oppose it.

Fred Kitchens, president and general counsel for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia, while officially neutral on the bill, did not oppose it. “We felt that it was an agreement between the Wine Institute and the Georgia farm winegrowers, and we thought it was a good compromise,” Kitchens said. “It’s a good, consumer-friendly bill. Wholesalers have been the target of a lot of bad publicity and accusations, but the wholesalers in Georgia are realistic and progressive.”

Which leaves me suspicious… what kinds of hurdles do you suppose are built into it? How difficult or expensive will the permitting process be? I’ll forward this article to a couple of wineries I’ve been unable to order wine from and see what they say.

update - Silly me. The bill allows wineries to ship to Georgia, not retailers. Hence the “progressive” stance by the local wholesalers. It’s a step in the right direction but I’d still like to be able to buy wine from web retailers.