Put a Cork In It: The Wine Closure Debate

Opening a bottle of wine can involve pulling out a cork, unscrewing a cap, or hitting the bottom of a bottle with a shoe. The proliferation of wine bottle closures has resulted in contentious debate in the wine world as winemakers and consumers try to decide what closure is the best.

The Sommelier Society of America, an organization that offers wine education, stepped up this week to pick natural cork. The Society's chairman, Robert Moody, cites "the pleasure of hearing the iconic 'pop' when you extract a natural cork from a bottle of wine." This is the latest in a series of such declarations. In 2002, winemaker Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard famously staged a funeral for natural cork and persuaded esteemed wine writer Jancis Robinson give a eulogy. Grahm now bottles his wines under screwcap. The battle has even reached YouTube. Zork, an alternative closure option, believes that natural cork will not help you get laid:

The pro-cork contingent has a flair for the sensational as well, and 100% Cork thinks that women care a lot about such a little thing:

But beyond the wine media bickering, what's the real deal with closures? Here's a brief rundown on the five major closure options:

Natural Corks

Cork has been the primary closure for wine for centuries and is cut from the bark of the cork tree, Quercus suber. While corks are well-suited to aging wine, they need to be properly taken care of to ensure that they do not dry out. Also, a flawed cork can ruin a bottle with cork taint, leaving the wine with a musty, wet cardboard smell. For an in-depth examination of cork taint check out these articles on Reign of Terroir and Palate Press. If you believe that you have a flawed bottle, don't hesitate to return it to the shop or discuss the problem with your sommelier.

Technical Cork-Based Closures

These closures come in many different forms but are generally made of cork pieces that have been glued together. This creates a comparatively inexpensive alternative to natural cork while preserving a similar look and feel. These can have the same contamination problems as natural cork.

Synthetic Corks

Synthetic corks are closures made of food-grade plastics. The big drawbacks are that they're kind of ugly and cannot be recycled. Also, most last for only five years, if not less.

Screwcaps

Screwcaps are made of an aluminum alloy cap with a liner. The caps are easy to remove and can last for several years. However, the debate in ongoing as to whether or not screwcaps are suitable for longterm aging. There is also a concern of wines being reduced, which can cause rotting cabbage and egg aromas. 

Crown Caps

Same as the cap on a beer, crown caps are an inexpensive and easy closure for wine. In fact, most Champagnes are closed with crown caps while aging, with a natural cork inserted later. While some consumers have a negative perception, others enjoy the easy access.

Vino-Seal

Also known as Vino-Lok, this German closure is a glass stopper with a silicone- and PVC-free plastic ring. Vino-Seal is easy to open and to reseal the bottle, but it's long-term storage possibilities are unknown. Just yesterday Dr.Vino reported that the premium Australian wine Henschke Hill of Grace will be switching from screwcap to Vino-Seal for the 2008 vintage, giving the closure's ability to age wine a vote of confidence.