Cork vs Screw Cap

[Count Silvio]

Read the Cork vs Screw Cap article on the front page.

I created this thread because I believe some people might want to give their own opinions about the subject.

[Lord Neville Crispin]

Would lacking an opinion be construed as having an opinion? Obviously such a topic should not detract from the poll's intent, however philosophy does intrude upon even the most pedestrian of topics.

[Sir Niko Earl of Holm]

I prefer cork... purely and simply because I find that cork gives a nicer taste to the wine. I'm not sure of the exact process, but I guess it gives its own flavour up to the bouquet.

While twist tops are a grand idea for many reasons, mainly practicality, I still think there's something more elegant about corking a bottle of wine.

[Count Silvio]

I'm not sure if the cork gives wine any taste but I know it allows the wine to breathe which might affect the wine. However the breathing has no effect on stronger alcohol as far as I understand.

[Rum Runner]

Firstly, cork is traditional and therefore gets my nod. It's much more pleasing than a piece of plastic or metal. Cork can impart a taste to wine when it becomes infected with a microbe, hence the term "corked". I actually found this flavor to improve some of the plonk I was buying awhile back when I was "on the dole". In a strange twist, some of the "greenies" are now promoting cork over plastic or metal because the cork tree (if properly managed) is sustainable and at least keeps the poor blokes in Portugal gainfully employed.

[El Magnifico hazza]

Stelvin corks (screw cap) in my mind, are far superior to the traditional cork. They provide better sealing, easy opening, easy to store for 'the next day'. The issue is though that they can be damaged _really_ easily. All you have to do is bump the top of the cap against something and it can fracture or be damaged, which may affect the wine in the near future. Some customers of mine check the caps each time they buy their wine and will sometimes refuse to take stuff that is only slightly damaged.

Cork though is tradition and a lot of what makes certain wines, spirits and other drinks great is the tradition behind them and the methods used in creating your drink. This method also includes bottling, presentation, labeling. Cork can be damaged and bad bottles may occur due to the 'corking', oxydising and cork rot, but the same thing can occur with the stelvin cap, but is far less frequent.

There are another two bottle methods though, the 'Twist Top' and the 'Crown Seal'. Twist tops are generally used for beers and ciders. Crown seal though, pop tops, have been used for a long time with some sparkling wines and some are going back to this method. They basically just dont replace the crown seal with the cork in the fermantation process. This could have an effect on cork used in sparkling wines in the future but at the moment, trust ole cork is seal of choice.

There are many other new packaging options which are becoming available but they will never enter the high end market of wine or spirit packaging. These new options are 'Tetra' packs(like Poppers), Pouch's (like the bladder from a goon cask but smaller). The Tetra packs being made are more environmentally viable and cost less to make, but look fool and have a short shelf life.

In the end the Stelvin cap will most likely not entirely take the place of the old cork, but it will be used far less and be more for tradition.

[Le Comte de la Vesteverte]

I'm all for corks. Mostly because of the experience and ceremony surrounding the uncorking of a bottle of wine. And skillfully uncorking a bottle can be an impressive skill at times.

As for preservation of unfinished bottles... well... what are you doing leaving a bottle opened and unfinished!? Enjoy the ephemerality of a nice bottle of wine!

Alright in the interests of responsible drinking especially if it's an inexpensive bottle, for situations when a bottle may not get finished in one go I use a little reusable Swissmar Epivac sealer thingy to remove most of the oxygen from the bottle.

[Dacaqa Fe Noyetuxuhe]

Personally, I prefer cork but I shan't dispute any claim that screwcap-preferred persons may make.

[Theodore S. Maul, Esq.]

What do you think of artificial cork? It doesn't fool anyone by trying to be a real cork but you can still complete the ceremony of using a corkscrew. Handing it out for the smell test seems kind of pointless but in my opinion hiding it sends a message that you are hiding something.

Now that twist tops have evolved to the next stage there is one thing that strongly speaks in their favour. A bottle with a twist top will never experience a cork failure.

[Le Comte de la Vesteverte]

The synthetic cork is, I find, much like Eliza Doolittle; a gravelly slut of a flower girl posing with a refined accent in a new dress and a few pointers in etiquette.

Functional but inherently disingenuous.

I will admit it has one distinct positive attribute and that is the relative ease and accuracy with which it may be pierced by the corkscrew and removed from the bottle.
This however means that what skill was once required in the proper de-corking of a bottle is now irrelevant and any uncultured buffoon can open one efficiently.

[Sir Niko Earl of Holm]

The synthetic cork is, I find, much like Eliza Doolittle; a gravelly slut of a flower girl posing with a refined accent in a new dress and a few pointers in etiquette.

Functional but inherently disingenuous.

I will admit it has one distinct positive attribute and that is the relative ease and accuracy with which it may be pierced by the corkscrew and removed from the bottle.
This however means that what skill was once required in the proper de-corking of a bottle is now irrelevant and any uncultured buffoon can open one efficiently.

Touche sir, well said. I couldn't agree more. I pride myself on my ability to properly cork a bottle of wine

[Scottes]

I don't drink wine, but rum. A cork is definitely preferred, and I don't mind these new "plastic" corks with the black plastic top that I've been seeing lately. Though they're not real corks, and don't have the resulting refinement, they do a superior job at sealing at the cost of an inferior job of presentation. Since rum with corks has few of the problems of wine with corks, so they are fairly unnecessary. And they're not sustainable, an aspect that I appreciate with real corks.

[Count Silvio]

I believe my Ron Pampero Aniversario has a synthetic cork. I had to replace it with a real cork because the original cork left some small pieces on the bottle neck when I pulled it out. I had to scrape them out and carefully avoid not to drop them in the bottle.

It appears my El Dorado 15 Year has a synthetic cork as well but it is of much superior quality.

[AngelSword]

Although fine spirits do not continue to age once bottled due to the absence of wood, a natural cork will allow the spirits to breathe slightly. This light oxidation does have an affect on the spirits... and is desirable.

[Count Silvio]

I believe my Ron Pampero Aniversario has a synthetic cork. I had to replace it with a real cork because the original cork left some small pieces on the bottle neck when I pulled it out. I had to scrape them out and carefully avoid not to drop them in the bottle.

I am going to correct myself a little. The cork is indeed real but appears to have some sort of weird coating that comes off when it touches alcohol.

[Archbishop S. M. Octavian]

given that I tend to decant my wine and spirits into a different container than they originally came in; the concept of corked, stoppered or capped isn't a real concern for me.

I think that to most, the idea that a cork slightly flavors the wine different is simply silly, since the cork, after exposure to any humidity is pretty much airtight. Only way you're going to change the flavor of most wines is by drinking it as it flows off a prostitutes bosom.

Presentation is a key though, for class, a cork is mostly mandated, anything else is remarkably like having vigorous sexual congress with your immediate sister. While you can do it, its not considered acceptable in polite society.

[Rum Runner]

given that I tend to decant my wine and spirits into a different container than they originally came in; the concept of corked, stoppered or capped isn't a real concern for me.

I think that to most, the idea that a cork slightly flavors the wine different is simply silly, since the cork, after exposure to any humidity is pretty much airtight. Only way you're going to change the flavor of most wines is by drinking it as it flows off a prostitutes bosom.

Presentation is a key though, for class, a cork is mostly mandated, anything else is remarkably like having vigorous sexual congress with your immediate sister. While you can do it, its not considered acceptable in polite society.

Dear Archbishop:
Happy to have you weigh in here as a man of the cloth. I can say from experience that a Beaujolais Nouveau was improved by a tart in Amsterdam some years back. As for your thoughts on presentation, I agree.

[Count Silvio]

I received this link in a thread I created at another forum and I found it interesting and informative.

[Sir Niko Earl of Holm]

After re-reading all the arguments here, and they are all excellent I might add, I think we need to distinguish between the liquids being contained. We now know the flavours a 'corked' bottle of wine might inherit influence our choice, but what of Rum and Whiskeys, or other spirits? Can the taste be altered so much?

In my experience with wines I prefer cork as I've previously mentioned, but as for whiskey, I found no notable difference in flavour but I did find the experience of pouring from a corked bottle was horrid... True, it was most definitely a combination of the actual bottle shape and the mouth, coupled with the cork itself but it was dripping everywhere and made the experience a bit of a chore...

[Henry Deare, Adventurer]

I find that while theres no really noticeable difference between cork and screw-cap, I do find the act of inhaling the light fumes off the cork to be a big part of my drinking experience. A teaser of what's to come.

With regards to spills and drips that come with a corked bottle, well these can be alleviated with a drip ring. A novelty to be sure, but one that can act as quite the conversation starter!

[Count Silvio]

Has anyone actually ever used a drip ring before? There is one in this household but I've never seen it in use. I usually just use my finger or a tissue to catch the drips.

[Rum Runner]

I should love to respond here. Alas, I fear being reprimanded. I think we need the Archbishop to weigh in here.

Has anyone actually ever used a drip ring before? There is one in this household but I've never seen it in use. I usually just use my finger or a tissue to catch the drips.

[Archbishop S. M. Octavian]

ah, the venerable drip ring, for some circles, its considered almost a necessity, but in others, moreso like training wheels on a Harley Davidson motorbike.

A good pouring technique will negate the need for a drip ring, but in some instances, a well made one can add a touch of class to any bottle.

a sample of one can be seen at http://www.wineenthusiast.com/E/details.asp?Ep=A/21300

[Count Silvio]

What about glass corks on some decanters? Are these corks airtight and how do you feel about these in general?

[Sir Niko Earl of Holm]

What about glass corks on some decanters? Are these corks airtight and how do you feel about these in general?

Can't be 100% certain on this but I would assume that they are not airtight, as pulling two bits of glass apart is quite difficult and if the temperature inside the bottle is hotter than room temperature (for whatever reason) and the cork is placed on it, a vacuum will occur and cause even more problems...

Its much like washing glasses in hot water and stacking them up on top of each other - provided a seal can be achieved - the cooling down eventually locks them tight and the only way to separate them is to re-heat them...