In the world of wine cork, cork and screw caps are not the whole story. This article introduces the five main types of wine stoppers in common use today, in order to understand their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Cork (natural cork)
Cork is currently the most popular method of sealing wine bottles. About 80% of all wines are corked, especially premium red wines. Unlike synthetic cork, cork is cut from the bark of natural oak trees and has been popular for centuries.
Advantages: The cork can be easily inserted into the bottle and inflated to achieve a perfect seal, but its permeability feature allows the wine in the bottle to come into contact with outside air through the cork’s own tiny holes, thus achieving an aging effect.
Disadvantages of wine: The cork must be opened with a corkscrew and the cork may break. In addition, cork has a major risk – cork contamination, which can make wine smell moldy or wet.
Two, screw cap
Nuts are made of aluminum and can be recycled. It is used by many wine merchants in Australia and New Zealand. It is mainly used for sealing white wines and some fine red wines.
Plum: Compared to a cork, a screw cap has a better seal, but it does not seal completely. It just isolates more air, which helps to preserve the original fruitiness of the wine.
Disadvantage: Because the wine does not “breathe” smoothly, the aroma of the wine may mix with sulfur dioxide.
Synthetic cork
Most of the man-made products we mentioned are made from petroleum-based plastics, but not synthetic cork. Namacorc, a well-known synthetic cork manufacturer, recently introduced a synthetic cork made from sugar cane. Many synthetic cork is made from oak chips or used cork.
Pros: Synthetic cork is similar in appearance and function to natural cork, allowing the wine to “breathe” properly and without the risk of cork contamination.
Disadvantages: Some people say that synthetic cork will let the wine taste the taste of chemical substances.
IV. Glass stopper (Vinolock)
A glass stopper consists of a glass cork and an O-shaped gasket, which is somewhat similar to an old bottle cap. This type of stopper has been used by several wineries in Germany and the Napa Valley in the United States.
Advantages: The glass stopper does not affect the taste and aroma of the wine, and it seals the bottle, reducing the risk of oxidation and ensuring the original flavor of the vineyard.
Disadvantages: Glass stopper must be manually plugged, so the cost is very high, which also increases the cost of wine production.
V. Closure
Plum: No need to worry about cork contamination, this closure method is suitable for still and sparkling wines.
Disadvantages: This cork is only used for special bottles, which actually increases the cost of the wine.
