Are corks becoming a thing of the past?

In the wine world, there seems to be a big misconception about the differences between corks and screw tops.  Some people will only drink wine if it’s sealed with a cork.  Others would prefer the easiest way to open the bottle, which is the screw top.  In reality, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to the way wine is sealed.  However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Corks

Advantages:

Corks have been used to seal off wine for centuries.  A corks porosity, or pores, allows the wine to breathe through the cork which contributes to chemical changes in the wine, helping it age properly.  Studies have shown that corks also bring a nice wood taste to the wine that enhances its flavor.  The cork is completely organic and brings a beautiful experience to presenting and opening wine. 

Disadvantages:

Corks are made from the bark of oak trees which takes a lot of time, effort, and money to produce.  Think about how many trees it takes to cut down in order to produce a piece of bark that is thick enough to made into a cork!  Corks can be risky!  There have been occasions when corks are tainted with Trichloroanisole which spoils and ruins wine.  In terms of the wine world, this essentially ruined bottle of wine is referred to as “corked” and occurs about 10% of the time.  Although it doesn’t happen too frequently, it is still time, effort, and wine wasted!

Screw Tops

Advantages:

Back in the day, wines with screw tops were considered to be a cheap product.  Well, that’s not the case anymore!  Screw tops are very easy to produce and are now used on pricey bottles of wine.  This more modern seal has no risk of tainting the wine.  Also, it has been known to retain the freshness of wine and can even preserve it for a longer time.  Though, wine enthusiasts may debate that this isn’t an acceptable way to help a wine age and breathe, screw top producers are now coming up with ways to accommodate these concerns.  Producers are coming up with ways to make screw tops have the ability to let the wine breathe just like corks.  As the screw tops gain popularity, corks are becoming extinct.  Screw tops are the future.

Disadvantages:

Many wine connoisseurs will argue that the cork is a vital part of changing the flavor of the wine and helping it age appropriately.  They’ll always be wine enthusiasts who are suckers for the aesthetic of the wine cork “pop”!   

My Opinion

After years of experience of working with wine, I’ve opened countless bottles with corks and with screw tops.  I think that in a quick moving restaurant environment, a screw top is very efficient and easy to open.  However, I completely agree when it comes to taking away the romance and experience when opening a bottle of wine in front of customers.  They like to see your technique on opening the bottle, the color of the cork, and they like to keep corks for memories and saving purposes.  I do think that screw tops are going to be the new future in the wine world.  Though, a cork will always have a special spot in my heart as it adds to my experience with wine.

 

Check out the YouTube video below for an overview of screw tops vs. corks!

http://bit.ly/2sYG0pe