There is a widespread belief for which A wine would be good only if it has a cork capsymbol of quality and authenticity. But is it really the case? Well, not really. If on the one hand this material plays a historical role in the wine world and is often associated with “high -end” wines, on the other there are many other types of caps that have nothing to envy to it as quality, and each of them has a great impact on the conservation and final flavor of the wine.
Corks
The natural cork cap – which comes from cork oak – It has been used for centuries to seal the bottles of wine. This because being a lot porous allows a small amount of oxygen to enter the bottle (oxygenation) favoring the aging of the wine. In addition, it is an elastic and resistant material, which prevents there are wine leaks.
Despite the many positive sides, however, it could present a problem known as “Cork Taint“, ie” contamination of the cap “, which could be in one contamination from TCA (Tricloroanisol)which develops in the oak bark when mushrooms, molds or some bacteria come into contact with a group of fungicides and insecticides, collectively called alofenoli. Mushrooms have a defense mechanism that chemically alters these compounds, making them harmless to the body but creates the TCA in the process, which then gives a bad smell of mold or wet cardboard in wine, ruining it.
The negative side? It is the price: the cork caps, in fact, are generally more expensive than the most common alternatives (in plastic or metal), and this naturally can affect the final price of the wine bottles. But it can also happen to buy bottles with natural cork caps that have a low quality, and being more fragile they can break during the opening, risking to contaminate the wine with corks of cork.
Then there are also the caps of agglomeration corkconsisting of many pieces of shredded and glued cork pies together (the glue is often based on resin). Compared to that of natural cork, this is a lot of cap cheaper It is easy to produce. Until the early 2000s they were used for wines to be consumed rapidly, but in the last ten years things have changed, and some agglomeration models, not only solve the problem of the Cork Taint – given that the sawdust of the cork is treated before the creation of the cap – but, based on the composition of the cap, they also manage to define the level of permeability with the outside and thus guarantee it is a good level of oxygenation that preserves it of free sulfur dioxide, which is fundamental for the aging of wines. These caps therefore cause wine to evolve in a slower and more uniform way.
Synthetic caps
For a long time, and even today, the synthetic caps (obtained mostly from plastic derivatives) have been associated with “poor” wines, but they are far from this, and have multiple positive sides, because they are immune to the Cork Taint, resistant to humidity, and temperature variations. Compared to the very first synthetic caps, those of today have all these positive sides also because they have different compounds and degrees of porosity which allow manufacturers to decide according to the characteristics of the wine to be bottled which exchange of oxygen requires wine inside in a specific period of time, even with solutions to climb year after year, thanks to the characteristics of the same caps. Moreover, the synthetic closures made in recent years are 100% recyclable And they are used in various production projects that focus on the reuse of recycled plastics.
The difficulties related to these closures concern the experience of the winemakers, who must adapt to a new approach in thinking about wine to be bottled. In fact, compared to traditional closures, the wine sealed with these new closures will have a different evolution, being more protected.
Stelvin caps (screw)
Also known as “screw caps”, the Stelvin are made of aluminum e very easy to open. In addition to being practical and in recent years they have continuously improved, thanks to innovations of the internal membranes of the cap that guarantee a good aromatic estate and also of the micro oxygenations over the years. So … is it better than cork caps? Many producers have also made ten -year tests to test these caps and understand if they were better or worse than those in cork, and they found that in many blind tastings, the same wine, of the same year and the cellar itself, it was better if it had the screw closure. The negative side, therefore, would seem to be only one, that is the loss of gestures When you open a bottle of wine: in countries where tradition is strong, it is difficult to give up the pleasure of opening the bottle with the cork cap, especially in the restaurant in front of high -end wines.
Ceramic or glass caps
The ceramic and glass caps are recent and uncommon alternatives compared to the other types of caps, also due to their higher cost (often they are handcrafted). They are very appreciated for theirs Elegant and distinctive aesthetic aspectbut also for the good estate and resistance to contamination. Both are inert, therefore they do not release substances that could contaminate or alter the flavor of the wine as it can happen with cork and plastic.
Ceramic caps can Keep the wine well If consumed young, but they are not ideal for aging wines, because not being porous they do not allow good oxygenation. They are perfect for those wines that do not need aging, and that must be consumed young, fresh and fruity.
Glass caps They completely seal the bottleand this prevents wine from getting in touch with oxygen. This can be advantageous for the younger wine, but also a limit if the wine requires an aging that benefits from the breathability. Beyond the question of the price, the negative side is the fact that this type of caps requires specific equipment to be removed from the bottle, making it less practical.
In short, as you have understood, there is no “perfect cap“For all wines, since the choice depends on the type of wine, its destination and the period in which it is intended to consume it. The next time you enter a wine shop, please note: you can observe how there are many bottles of wine and each has a specific cap chosen precisely to enhance the characteristics of its content.
Moreover, today more than ever the cap proves to be very important for the consumption of wine: the recent entry into force of the new highway codein fact, since December 2024 has modified people’s consumption habits. To encourage wine consumption again in restaurants and wine bars, Signorvino has thought of a synthetic cap Made with an expanded mixture of high estate poliolefine (plastic polymers) to offer to all those people who would like to dinner, drinking wine, but who do not know how many glasses can drink to stay within the limits imposed by the code before driving. Thanks to the cap, if the bottle at the table has not finished it can be brought home with you – a bit like the Doggy Bag – and finish it calmly.
