Does a screw top or a cork make a difference to the wine?

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'm really disappointed with the misinformation you have received so far. I am a wine collector and subscriber to Wine Spectator (a well known magazine dedicated to wine). The Wine Spectator has published many articles over the last two or three years that address the cork vs. screw cap debate. Not one of these articles recommends cork. To quote one particular article, "the reason wineries started switching away from corks was because they don't do a consistently good job of sealing and preserving a bottle of wine." Furthermore, "more than a dozen studies dating back to the 1970s in Europe and the '80s in Australia have shown" that cork isn't better, "as well as the fact that wines age properly under screw cap. It's like trying to tell us that a Pinto is better than a Porsche."

Screw caps have historically been used only with low quality wines, while high end wines have exclusively used cork. High end wineries have been reluctant to switch to screw caps because they are afraid consumers will react adversely and not buy their product any more (please give us more credit!). To again quote Wine Spectator, "screw caps are relatively common in some New World regions, such as New Zealand, Australia and, increasingly, the United States. However, few high-profile French vintners have used twist-offs on their top wines." However, Wine Spectator recently reported that "you know the times are a-changin' when a renowned vintner in tradition-bound France abandons corks for screw caps. Domaine des Baumard, one of the most esteemed producers in the Loire Valley, has decided to do just that with all of its future bottlings."

Please note that the quality of the cork based bottle seal will probably not be important if you decide to drink such a bottle soon after purchase. However, for those of us who collect and age wine, the movement towards screw caps is more than welcome.

Answer 2

Good question, and one that most people get completely wrong! Cork has been used historically, because back several centuries ago there was nothing better. (And cork producers like Portugal will still try to insist that it is the best!) However, cork being a natural material it is subject to quality fluctuations, and if it fails to form a sufficiently airtight seal the result is wine which is either 'corked' (reacted with substances in the cork) or something near to vinegar (reacted with oxygen). And even good quality cork needs to be stored well to keep it from drying out, hence why you should store bottles on their side.

'Screw top' capsules, artificial material 'corks', etc. are by contrast perfect airseals and do the job they are meant to do, every time. Therefore purely from a technical (wine quality) and storage perspective they are far superior to cork.

The problem is that people associate tradition with quality, which is why cork seems the most 'authentic' thing to most. Also, it is true that when the screw tops first came out for wine bottles it was mainly the nasty cheap stuff that they were used for, which supported the 'cork is good, screwtop is bad' notion.

If you ask any maker of quality New World wines which they would use, they tell you the same thing: cork is a nightmare to work with, but some consumers simply refuse to buy anything else.

Answer 3

Not anymore.

Back in the day only cheap wine came in a screw top. However, there have been improvements to screw top technology and now they too can keep good wine for longer than natural cork. The screw top is lined with a sort of artificial cork and allows the wine to breath but not to spill or for bacteria to get into the wine. This material can also be form into a natural cork shape and be used to cork a bottle like you usually expect them to be. Once this artificial cork is removed you can tell it is not natural.

If you are looking for a good wine don't pay attention to the top of the bottle. Just taste the actual wine.

Answer 4

Yes, it does make a difference. However, that difference is not what most people seem to think. Natural corks can contain contaminants such as molds that will adversely affect the wine. Synthetic corks are better, but screw tops actually provide a much tighter, cleaner seal. Unfortunately, screw tops have been given a bad rap by the "fortified" wine industry (Mad Dog - MD 20-20) and other cheap wines. However, vintners are moving toward screw tops so the stigma is slowly disappearing. However, corks are superior if you are planning to age the wine because the natural corks allow for some transfer of air to the wine. But since most people drink wine as soon as they buy it, that's a moot point.

Answer 5

I have to assume that you are talking about a wine that you want to buy to drink. This may sound obvious - but........
For wines in supermarkets and chain winestores it will make absolutely no difference to a wine if it has a screw top or a cork. There may be a slight difference in flavour if you buy wine in a plastic bottle, but not a lot, and usually it would be only red wine sold in plastic bottles, but what about the 'boxes' of wine that have plastic bag 'inners' with a tap? They are used for both red and white wines.
So, if you are buying to drink it relatively quickly, then I would doubt very much that you would notice the difference in flavour.
If you are buying as an investment rather than to drink, then I am afraid that you will have to buy with a cork - but since most of the really expensive wines of this type are kept too long to be drinkable, I don't think that I would advise you to bother with that one!
The French seem happy to bottle their wines with srew caps - I'm happy with French wine.
Simple rule. Try it with and without and see if you can tell the difference!
Oh! and most importantly, don't be a 'wine snob!' Find a wine that you like (or several) and buy and drink them. If you try to keep up with what someone else thinks you will not enjoy your wine and you will spend a fortune chasing something that you will never find.

Answer 6

Yes, it is the quality of the seal, so go with the cork. There is allot of quality wines that come in screw tops but I will add that having a cork, does not necessarily mean it is a good wine. Cork or Screw top, it is about the pressure seal. If you have 2 of the very same wines and one is cork and one is screw top, I would co with the cork. Store cork wines laying down.

Answer 7

Good wine comes with a cork. Do not buy wines with a screw top because it alows the air to enter the bottle and damage the wine. If you pay just a little attention when you buy a wine, you will see that all expensive wine bottles have a cork and believe me that it is not the cork that is expensive! Just a little curiosity: the big majority of corks used in bottles of wine are produced in Portugal. Their quality is excellent and so are the Portuguese wines. If you are a wine lover try red wines from the Portuguese region of Alentejo like "Monte Velho" or "Marques de Borba". Gorgeous flavour! Or try a Rose called Mateus. They are simply great!

Answer 8

It used to be the case that cheap came with a screw top but a lot of good wine producers are using screw tops or resin corks nowadays because natural cork is becoming a rare resource, so I guess a screw top does not always mean what it did in the past.

Answer 9

Unless you are buying high quality wine to lay down don't be deterred by the presence of a screw top. This is every bit as good as cork.

What you have to consider is the effect on the atmosphere of unscrewing a bottle of wine rather than peeling off the seal, inserting the corkscrew and withdrawing the cork with that wonderful sound.

Answer 10

It really dont matter i used to have a catering service and i would buy wine by the gallons and some of my homemade wine and it all had screw tops but i would put it in used bottles and cork it with a corking tool so the guest would think it was an expensive wine // I got more compliments than complaints // My business catered to corporate executives for various functions and seminars especially around the holidays--------even catered a few furneals and weddings and birthday parties---now i'm retired