How do you perceive wine bottle with screwcaps?Do u relate it with the wine quality?

Question

I want to do some survey of which European consumers still prefer wine bottle with cork instead of screwcap. I was told that European thought that wine with screwcaps would degrade the perception of wine quality. They always relate higher quality of wine with those bottles in corks. Is it true?

Answer 1

Hi - plenty of good reasons to use screwcaps to seal wine! Start here:

It is said up to 10% of wine is tainted – due to the use of a cork.

So after 700 years, the myth of using cork has been debunked. "Doesn't the slow passage of oxygen through a porous stopper help wines age and develop bottle bouquet?" you ask? No!

In fact, the screw cap makes the perfect wine closure — no taint, no oxidation, no problem. After all, if screw caps are good enough for $200 bottles of Scotch, why not for $20 bottles of wine?

Screw caps often associated with cheap wines, have some perception hurdles to hop, but many winemakers in the U.S. and abroad are experimenting with them on select wines. New Zealand is leading the wine industry with over 25 wineries converting from cork to cap, with wineries in Australia, Spain, South Africa, South America, Canada, the U.S. and France all testing the capping trend as well.

Currently there are three ways to close a bottle of wine: natural cork, synthetic cork and screw caps.

Natural cork closures have a centuries-long heritage; however, they allow for a bottle of wine to be “corked” as the saying goes. A “corked” bottle has a musty smell and taste that stems from TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole) - a substance used to sanitize the natural cork prior to bottling. The result is a flat, moldy flavor devoid of fruit-filled taste and aroma. It is estimated that about 5-10% of wines available on merchants' shelves are “corked.”

Synthetic corks, derived from plastic, appeared to be a viable alternative to traditional corks. However, their track record has been tarnished due to their inability to keep oxidation at bay for any real length of time, significantly decreasing the shelf life of a wine and short-changing the maturing process of select wines.

Screw caps provide the best seal for bottled wines, and eliminate the “corked” and oxidation problem in one fell swoop. Hogue Cellars completed a 30-month study comparing natural and synthetic cork closures with the Stelvin screw caps, their findings suggest significant benefits in utilizing screw caps over either natural or synthetic cork closures. While, screw caps do diminish the drama and romance of bottle opening it is well worth the sacrifice to ensure a taint-free wine that offers consistent aging, maintained flavor and freshness with optimum quality control.

The Stelvin screw cap appears to be the industry's cap closure of choice. With producers such as Hogue Cellars , Beringer, Bonny Doon, Penfolds and many others utilizing the Stelvin screw cap closure for wines of all price ranges - we are sure to see this trend take hold as winemakers and wine enthusiasts alike place a higher priority on overall quality and less on “corked” tradition.

and yet another article is found on the link below:

Answer 2

Absolutely not. Screw tops are the way forward for lots of reasons. Natural cork can taint wine. Have you ever kept a REALLY nice bottle of wine for a few years, stop yourself from drinking it so many times because there's no booze left in the house then open it ceremoniously at a special occasion only to have to filter it through a cheesecloth and it tastes rank?? Plastic corks aren't much better at keeping out the oxygen either. Also, you can go camping, forget the bottle opener as you do and its not a problem with a screw top. Easy to open also if you've already had a few bottles and find new fangled cork screws a nightmare to negotiate with. Good bye also to corks that break in half and bits of floating cork in your glass.

Answer 3

I rarely drink European wine mostly because you have to have a cork screw. The quality of the wines are not affected by the method of sealing. The screw caps just ensure that you can go to the wine without flubbing it up or looking stupid.

Answer 4

I see there are lots of good reasons for using a screwcap but I think what you are told is correct. Screwtops equal cheap in my opnion and even though I have been proved wrong many times its implanted in my brain forever that corks mean better wine!

Answer 5

I would prefer to stick to purchasing of wines that have a cork rather than a screwcap.

Answer 6

I tend to think its the wine snobs who relate to wine with corked tops to be far superior to screw capped wine, some of the really good Australian and African wines come with a screw top now and they are excellent, I just put it down to snob value.

Answer 7

OH my gosh that became humorous. LOL thank you Jake xx Its not the dimensions of the bottle its what you're able to do with it. LOL. Sorry i've got not been answering lots nevertheless shifting and cleansing out stuff. i wish you have been properly. xx Sugar trojan horse

Answer 8

I am appalled at such a suggestion, screw tops indeed!

Answer 9

I can't drink wine make me feel sick ...