In the Italian region of Veneto, a common term (also "Tappo Spago" = string, twine, cord) for a special cork closure of Frizzante (Sparkling Wine). Sparkling wine under 3 bar carbon dioxide pressure is exempt from a possible sparkling wine tax. Since the design of the bottle, such as mushroom corks and Agraffe (wire cage), was also used as a criterion for taxation, the winemakers used a normal cork and secured it with the spago. Meanwhile, modern bottling plants can hold the corks without spago, but the tradition has been maintained for aesthetic and traditional reasons.

Today, the closure with an attached note serves more as decoration or as a trademark. Untying the cord, similar to removing the capsule from wine bottles, has developed into a ceremony and also serves as proof of originality. The cork with the spago protrudes slightly from the neck of the bottle.
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Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)