4 good reasons to switch to screw caps

You might think it’s probably cheap stuff, but think again! More and more bottles are coming with screw caps, including those containing very good wines. This solution actually has some advantages. Here are four good reasons to give it a try.

1. No need for a corkscrew! Who hasn’t ever forgotten to bring a corkscrew? Suppose you’ve just moved, for instance. After a hard day of hauling boxes and furniture with your friends, you’ve certainly earned a nice glass of wine to relax! But it’s impossible to find your corkscrew, which is probably at the bottom of a box. Unless you use one of these methods, a screw cap will be a good alternative.

2. No risk of encountering a corked wine There’s always a slight apprehension when opening a bottle of wine. Indeed, no matter the quality of the wine, you’re never entirely safe from getting a corked wine. And when it happens, there’s unfortunately not much you can do except pour the contents down the sink. With a screw cap, you don’t need to worry about this. The flaw of a "corked" wine actually comes from the cork being contaminated with a certain fungus. If the cap isn’t cork, there’s no risk in that regard. However, note that a wine’s alteration isn’t always due to its cork. A screw-capped bottle won’t protect your wine from other potential faults.

3. Easy to reseal Another significant advantage of the screw cap is wine preservation. With a cork, it’s sometimes impossible to push the cork back in properly. Furthermore, a bottle resealed with a cork isn’t completely sealed because the system relies on air pressure. A screw cap, on the other hand, allows you to fully and perfectly seal the bottle. According to the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFDV), a screw cap even ensures better protection of aromas, whether for mid-range wines or top-notch vintages.

4. Space-saving Finally, if you want to keep your bottle for a few days or several months, you don’t have to keep it lying down if it has a screw cap. In contrast, a bottle with a cork always needs to be stored horizontally so that the cork remains moist to keep the air out and prevent the wine from oxidizing. With a screw-capped bottle, you won’t have this issue. This can quickly lead to a significant saving of space!

FAQ - Screw cap

Are screw caps only used for cheap wines?

No, that is a common misconception. More and more bottles use screw caps, including very good wines. It is a technical choice, not a sign of lower quality.

Can a wine sealed with a screw cap be corked?

Cork taint comes from a cork contaminated by a fungus. Without cork, that risk disappears. However, a screw cap does not protect your wine from other possible faults.

Can you store a screw-cap bottle upright?

Yes. Unlike a cork-sealed bottle, which must lie down to keep the cork moist, a screw-cap bottle keeps just as well standing up. That saves real space.

Does a screw cap protect a wine's aromas well?

According to the French Institute of Vine and Wine, a screw cap offers good aroma protection, on mid-range wines as well as on top vintages.

Is a screw cap more practical than cork for resealing a bottle?

Yes. Cork rarely goes back in perfectly because it relies on air pressure. A screw cap lets you fully reseal the bottle and better preserve an opened wine.