Comments on: Screw-Caps Better Than Corks for Wine

By: Seth Brundle

Seth Brundle — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:39:12 +0000

Several of my friends are sonoma/napa county winemakers and vineyard managers, and the fact that cork is inferior to modern alternatives is not new - the concept has been around for years.

Its not the winemakers who are shunning synthetic corks and screwcaps - no one would like to prevent loss or protect the wine during distribution and storage more then the winermakers - the problem is selling it to the bulk of uninformed consumers who feel that a screwcap or synthetic cork is either a cost-cutting cheap alternative or gimmick.

By: mike

mike — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:42:29 +0000

wine in a box is brilliant at this — there’s an inner bag (”bladder”) that shrinks as you pour it out — therefore air is never re-introduced to the container. this is how you can keep it in the fridge forever and it doesn’t oxidize.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:55:30 +0000

The problem with synthetic cork, or “rubber corks” as tec called them, is that they leak air. They are not as air-tight as real cork, making them the least-desirable option.

By: tec

tec — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:54:00 +0000

I love that industry folks are realizing that the “cheap wine” screw-caps and wine boxes are better for the product. What I don’t understand is why more of them aren’t moving to rubber “corks”. They solve all the problems of traditional corks without changing the look of the packaging.

By: Moe

Moe — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:53:58 +0000

Screw top wines have been around for a while, but they just haven’t been picked up. Most traditional wineries scoff at screw caps, but a few wineries, particularly in regions without a strong tradition of wine making, have experimented with this. I think Australian and South African wines have the most screw caps. I’ve tried a few of them, and I don’t know if it was just shitty wine, but they never tasted as good.

Some wineries are also experimenting with synthetic cork, which provides the same effect as a screw on cap.

Also, as long as you keep the bottle on its side, and the cork wet, you shouldn’t get problems with cork taint or the cork coming apart, as long as it’s made by a decent winery.

By: Susie

Susie — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:41:36 +0000

“cork taint”, hehehehe…