Fear Not VOD

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Wine bottles have traditionally been sealed with cork. Cork is inserted into the neck of the wine bottle where it swells for an even tighter seal. However, because cork is porous, some very small amounts of oxygen still seep into the bottle over time and allow a small amount of oxygenation to occur. Oxygenation can help take some of the sharpness out of a young wine, but most experts agree that beyond this, oxygen does not help to mature a wine over time. Furthermore, some cork wood contains trace chemicals that can leave a musty taste in the wine. When this happens the wine is said to be “corked,” and the taste is ruined for connoisseurs.

Screw caps on the other hand have long been thought of as a cheap alternative to corks suitable for cheap wines. Indeed, many inexpensive wines use screw caps. They are cheaper than corks, but are they worse for the wine? Screw caps can come in s range of quality levels. A good quality screw cap designed for a wine bottle, actually seals better than a cork. They can prevent leakage of oxygen into the bottle almost entirely. This prevents oxygenation which can, over time, reduce the wine’s character. The fact is that good quality screw caps may be technically better than corks at preserving the wine inside the bottle. However, there is a certain social stigma associated with a screw top wine. Many consumers dismiss a wine with a screw cap at the store out of hand and never consider that it may indeed be as good a wine as any with a cork.

Sharing a bottle of wine is also about the entire experience. Popping the cork is a traditional part of that experience. All manner of cork screws have been invented to make the experience even more of an event. Even if the screw cap is better for the wine itself, the cork, arguably still adds character, not to the taste of the wine, but to the very act of opening the bottle in a way that a screw cap never will.

Another alternative that has received some acceptance is the plastic cork. These artificial corks are designed to mimic the porosity of a real wood cork and are removed in the same manner as a real cork would be. The grand event of opening the wine bottle is preserved. Since the wonders of modern plastics are well-known, the public accepts that the plastic cork is as good if not better at preserving a wine’s flavor than the real cork. Indeed, plastic corks do not leak chemicals into the wine that might result in “corking” the wine as some natural corks do. In that regard, they may be seen as superior. However, for the finest wines, a lengthy process of aging in the bottle can help its flavor mature over a period of decades. It is said that a good natural cork can retain its seal for at least 30 years. Plastic, despite popular conceptions to the contrary, does not retain its properties well over such a span of time. Moisture, exposure to chemicals, sunlight, extreme dryness, or simple aging can cause the plastic cork to lose elasticity and lose its seal over time. At present, plastic corks cannot be reliably used for wines that have a longer maturation process.

Despite the fact that the screw cap is technically superior, most people wouldn’t want to give a wine gift with a metal screw cap for fear of looking unsophisticated or cheap, despite their own knowledge of the wine’s price and quality. Until the stigma of the screw cap can be overcome, it looks as though those who enjoy the gift of a good wine will have to live with the occasional mustiness of the “corked” wine bottle.