Wine Tasting 101.5 Part 2: To cork or not to cork?

There has been quite a bit of discussion in the last few years regarding the ever growing use of screw top caps on wine bottles.

Are screw top wines inferior? Do they lack class? I\'ve done some research to help us understand the whole story.

There are 3 dominant types of wine closure methods on the market: Natural cork, Synthetic cork, and Screw cap.

Natural corks have been around for a very long time. The pros to a natural cork is that it lets the wine breathe so that it can properly age. It has the romance we know and love with the "uncorking" experience that is enjoyed at a fine restaurant. Cons are that wine can end up damaged or "corked". The chemical called TCA used to sanitize the cork can compromise and ruin the wine. 5-10% of wines with cork closures on the shelf are "corked".

Synthetic corks are made out of plastic and while they still give you the uncorking experience, they are not ideal. Cons are they are not great for long term cellaring, they actually let more air in than corks or screw tops and that could harm the wine. These are most common in lower cost wines. If you plan to drink it quickly, don\'t sweat it.

Screw caps are actually the best seal. There have been studies done to ensure the wine ages okay with the screw top and they were successful. There are plenty of good wines on the market with a screw top cap. Many wineries are transitioning every year. New Zealand has led the way in this trend, pay attention to the New Zealand wines on the shelves.

So to wrap this up, if you plan to drink a wine in the near future, don\'t worry about the closure. Base your wine buys by what\'s inside the bottle, not what\'s on top. However, if you are planning to cellar it long term, I would lean toward natural cork.

Cheers!
Robin