Do Cork and Screw Cap Bottle Tops Do the Same Thing?

 

The Most Important Wine Cellaring Questions

 

As wine racking and cellar experts we get asked a lot of questions about what are the most important aspects of cellaring wine from our wine storage customers.  There are many aspects and not all are specifically about the cellar. The following series will attempt to answer some of the most asked questions in wine storage:

 

Screw cap tops are a fantastic invention that has prevented the “corking” of great wines. In most respects screw tops, such as the Stelvin branded closure system, provide all of the benefits of Cork without the likelihood of wine spoilage. The modern screw caps also are supplied with a oxygen transmission rates (OTR), this determines the rate that oxygen can pass through the top. Just as cork allows a very small amount of oxygen transfer so do screw cap tops. On rare occasions wine will react with a cork, or bacteria on/in the cork and the wine will spoil, this is avoided by the use of screw caps. While the screw cap has many advantages one of the features that it does not provide to the wine is the subtle taste change that the contact with the natural substance provides to a fine bottle of wine, enriching the flavours and enhancing its character. 

Cork or Cap