Cork and screw cap
The two most common and popular types of closure for wine bottles are the cork and the screw cap. Opinions differ on the question of whether a wine is better sealed with a cork or a screw cap.
The good old cork still knows how to impress today. Today, wines with this classic closure enjoy particular prestige compared to screw caps.
For a cork stopper, the bark of the cork oak is peeled off and punched into the right shape. For many wine lovers, the advantage of this closure lies in the natural material. The cork enables oxygen exchange, allowing the wine to continue maturing in the bottle.
Pressed corks are an alternative to natural corks. They are made from cork granulate and have the same positive and negative properties as natural corks.
Synthetic corks are another alternative. These are made of plastic or sugar cane and also allow a - slightly lower - exchange of oxygen. However, they may release foreign flavours into the wine during longer storage.
The screw cap is made of aluminium. It sometimes has to contend with the prejudice that wines sealed in this way are automatically wines of inferior quality. However, more and more high-quality wines are sealed with screw caps instead of corks. Many are of the opinion that a screw cap is the best possible way to seal a wine bottle. Even wine connoisseurs can't tell the difference between wine sealed with an impeccable natural cork and a good screw cap. From a technical point of view, a screw cap fulfils all the requirements that can be placed on a wine bottle closure: It seals the bottle perfectly, prevents unpleasant cellar odours in the wine or ageing too quickly due to contact with oxygen. Another advantage is that the bottle can be opened and reclosed quickly and easily.
In terms of feel, of course, it makes a difference when the wine is opened with a corkscrew, the associated movements and the irresistible sound.
