For many wine purist and environmentalist, the decline of traditional corks to screw tops signals societal doom and ecological issues. Wine makers worldwide are embracing this alternative to corks. From 300 million screw-top bottles in 2003 to some 2 billion in 2007, the trend is evident.
However, as plastic corks and screw tops increasingly become the norm something incredibly abnormal is taking place. The world’s cork forests are being sacrificed according to environmentalists worldwide. This is not just a financial problem for cork farmers, but also an ecological one. Cork production is sustainable. Only the bark is shaved off the tree, thus cork trees can be used again and again and prove to be an excellent habitat for animals.
For centuries winemakers have sealed bottles with cork, which usually comes from trees in Portugal, North Africa and Spain. Tradition has it that the cork helps wine age, but many experts dispute that. Studies show that between 2 and 7 percent of all wine sealed with natural cork ends up becoming “corked.”
It can happen to any wine, regardless of price. It doesn’t make any difference what kind of wine it is, where it’s from or who makes it. “Corked” wine is caused by the presence of a chemical compound called TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), which is formed from the chlorine beach used in the cork manufacturing process. It causes the wine to taste and smell like wet cardboard.
Aluminum-alloy screw tops can provide a tighter seal, preventing tiny amounts of air from seeping in and changing the wine. They also help control cost. A bottler spends 15 cents on each closure, while cork can cost 50 cents per bottle.
For years, twist-off caps have been associated with “cheap” wines. So when a $50 bottle of Burgundy comes with a screw top, people do a double take. Today, great wines from Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, even France and the U.S. are topped with twist-offs.
Are there enough cork trees in the world to be used in the consumption of wine bottles around the globe? Cork trees can only be used every ten years, with the increasing wine consumption among the world, maybe it’s time we change the material traditionally used.
I know screw caps are a leap from the traditional cork that’s been jammed into the wine bottle for years. But screw caps are created with tin or aluminum, which are both recyclable after use.
What do you think? Should we screw ‘em, or accept them. Leave your thoughts in our comment section.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Steen Seo Ohman 03.10.09 at 3:20 pm
For average wines it could be ok.
But for cellaring, it’s really not an option.
Would never gamble with a new type of “cork” and keep the wine for 20+ years in the cellar. The old traditional cork has proven it works in the long run.
But if you dont use cork for cheep wines, then its possible to get better corks for the expensive wines made for years of cellaring.
Kristen Banker 03.10.09 at 5:52 pm
Good point about cellaring the wine with a traditional cork. How do you feel about respectable wine-makers turning their back on the cork stating that their marketing departments say screw-top protects both taste and the environment? Many greenies think the switch is a little more than a cost-cutting measure.
Sonny Jelinek 03.11.09 at 3:09 pm
Thank you for creating discussion around this issue Kristen.
The bottom line is that by using cork products, you’re helping preserve the cork forest habitat. If there is no (or little) demand for cork, farmers will be forced to sell their lands for alternative use (i.e. property development). Cork is one of the most renewable and sustainable products in the world. After the cork bark is harvested from the tree, it immediately begins to grow back. The trees are never cut down. Bark harvested for cork stopper use occurs approximately every 9 years because at that point the bark is thick enough to punch out a wine cork. During the 200+ year lifespan of a cork tree, it is filtering carbon dioxide and creating what the World Wildlife Fund calls one of the most diverse habitats for plants and animals found anywhere in the world.
The cork industry continues to work to reduce the incidence of corky taste and every year there are improvements in this area. Let’s not destroy such a valuable natural resource just to appease the relatively small number of complaints (in comparison to bottles pleasantly consumed) of corky taste in wine. If you really want to help our planet, ask your winemaker to use real cork.
For more information visit The World Wildlife Fund cork projector our blog for comprehensive information on cork.
Kristen Banker 03.11.09 at 3:37 pm
Sonny, thanks for the additional information on this sensitive topic. Your points should be read by everyone interested in the cork verse screw-top debate. And the World Wildlife Fund cork project is awesome. Keep up the great green work!
Mac 03.11.09 at 6:12 pm
I live in France and a cork is considered the proper way to do things. Go in the supermarket and you will only find wine in plastic bottles and some sort of screw top.
I’ve no idea if it really matters, don’t drink the stuff myself, but the masses want easy and cheap. Is the average enologist going to make the perfect wine for my great grandchildren or is she going to make something to pay the bills in the immediate future?
Olaf 03.18.09 at 9:03 am
I like the Screw cork very much:
no more cork peaces inside the wine
tasting cork