Types of Main Wine Corks

At present, there are more of them on the market, including the following: natural cork stoppers, synthetic stoppers, screw stoppers, glass stoppers, and crown caps. It gives the impression that the old world and higher-priced high-quality wines use more cork stoppers, the lower-priced wines use more synthetic stoppers, the New World and Old World primary wines use more screw stoppers, and glass stoppers, It is widely used in Germany and Austria. In addition to the well-known beer, crown caps are now more and more used in sparkling wine bottles. It has also become a trend.

 

 

The pros and cons of various bottle stoppers

Natural cork has been around for thousands of years, but one fatal flaw persists - it can give wine a bad cork taste. The smell of bad cork is not fresh, like the smell of rain-wet newspaper or cardboard, the source of this substance is the reactant of the disinfectant in the cork and the mold that has not been removed, called TCA (chlorobenzyl) ethers), which can cause the wine to taste bland, with spoiled notes engulfing the fruity and floral aromas.

Synthetic stoppers, a rubber product, are a common alternative to traditional cork stoppers due to their similarity in shape and function. However, because it can only maintain the antioxidant time of red wine for a short time (about 18 months), it needs to be consumed as soon as possible after bottling; although the interference of TCA is avoided, it sometimes leaves some chemical rubber taste on the wine, so it is not recommended to use The impression of the users and drinkers was mediocre.

The screw stopper can achieve a good sealing effect of the bottle mouth, which greatly eliminates the concerns of manufacturers and buyers about "cork smell" and hidden dangers of oxidation. Hogg's Cellars conducted a 30-month research experiment comparing the use of natural oak stoppers, synthetic stoppers and Steven's screw stoppers. It was found that the screw stopper has a complete advantage over the first two, although it makes Consumers lose enjoyment of the romance of opening the bottle, which in comparison seems to be far less than maintaining the quality of the wine, discovering the potential for continued evolution, long aromas and freshness in the glass after opening Pleasant and graceful quality, should be more charming.

The glass stopper, which is composed of glass and a rubber ring inside, avoids wine oxidation and TCA contamination at the same time. The product was introduced to Europe in 2003 and has been used by more than 300 wineries. But there are two main reasons that affect its promotion: the high cost and the complete hand-sealing of the bottle-the cost of each bottle is 70 cents, and the corresponding filling equipment is not popular worldwide.

Crown caps are often used to seal sparkling wines. Initially this cap was used only for sealing during fermentation and was often replaced with a cork before shipping. But recently, many manufacturers have directly used the crown bottle cap for sale. Although it is easy to open, it greatly reduces the atmosphere and mystery of using champagne at parties.

 

 

Usage range and trend

Screw stoppers have been discriminated against, and even now many wine lovers are still worried about the quality of wine with screw stoppers. In 2004, a study by Wine Intelligence, a wine consultancy, found that nearly half of American consumers and British consumers refused to believe that screw caps could be used on fine wines.

However, according to the current trend, whether the use of screw plugs is in the new world represented by the United States and Australia, or in the old world represented by France and Spain, the scope of application of screw plugs is getting wider and wider, which is indisputable. The fact is, and the wineries in these well-known wine countries, including South Africa, South America, Canada, New Zealand and other countries, have repeatedly confirmed the high antioxidant advantages of screw plugs.

Steven corks have become an indispensable part of the wine industry. Many well-known wineries such as Hogg's Cellars, Bellinger, Penfolds, etc., are using Steven corks regardless of the price of their products. We believe this will be a big trend and all winemakers and wine lovers want to see more quality assured wines, not more 'oak musty'.

in terms of environmental protection

If I came to the conclusion from the beginning, in terms of environmental protection, natural cork is still a better choice, you must be very surprised! Oak is not only a very important economy, it has become a major environmental protection hotspot in Europe and the Mediterranean region.

The use of corks to store red wine is already a very old tradition, and this time-honored practice ensures that the world's few oak forests, mostly in the hot and dry southern Mediterranean regions of Portugal and Spain, have a lifespan of several For hundreds of years, many wild animals have also lived on this, such as Iberian lynx, wild deer in North Africa, meerkats in Egypt, and some birds. The existence of these trees not only prevents soil loss, but also ensures global Diversity of life. But judging from the current rate of cork replacement, the World Wildlife Fund predicts that non-corks will dominate the wine market in 2015. By then, these woods will be abandoned, and trees along with these mysterious animals and plants will follow. disappear.