Let's Settle It: Are Corked Wines Really 'Better' Than Screw Tops?
!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src = '
https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb';cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","mediaId":"3d7f33ce-11d3-448e-9be3-813e90d14595"}).render("69270374e4b0ee43600b670f");});There are some wine “rules” that I, a non-expert, always believed all experts stood by – things like never putting ice in white wine and using the exact right glass for each drink. Luckily, Lauren Denyer, a WSET School London wine educator, previously disabused me of those notions. Speaking to HuffPost UK, she said: “There is a certain amount of pretension that can come with wine, which can be very off-putting and often incorrect”. But does that extend to what I thought was wine’s cardinal rule? In other words, are corked bottles always better than screw-top kinds? Here’s what Lee Issacs, a WSET Educator Development Manager who previously taught us how to read a wine bottle, had to say on the topic.Are corked wines always better?“Seeking closure on a challenging life experience can often end with one needing a glass or two of wine,” the expert told us. But, he explained, “Closure in wine... refers to how the bottle has been sealed”. Wines can be closed by a variety of corks, including natural, synthetic, grainy, and even Champagne-specific types. They can also be closed with screw caps and, more rarely, crown caps.“Thankfully,” Issacs said, “the days of people being judgmental and wary of screwcaps are almost completely behind us. The type of closure does not reflect the overall quality of the wine.”In fact, the wine educator thinks even canned versions can hold their own these days. “The days of canned wine just being a vehicle for any old naff alcohol” are gone, he wrote.“As consumers globally look to moderate their alcohol intake, wine in cans are agreat option.” Why do different wines have different closures? I was surprised to hear from Isaacs previously that “Most wines are made to be consumed without the need for ageing, and a good rule to follow is if the wine is particularly cheap and more than a year old, it may be a bit past it”. That’s partly why screw caps are quite common.“Screwcap wines tend to be designed for younger, fresher drinking, with cork stoppers still the choice for wines aiming to change and develop over time in bottle,” the pro advised. “If nothing else, a screwcap bottle is easy to reseal and stick in the fridge to keep [for] the next day… and there’s no need for a corkscrew.” Related...7 Signs A Wine Expert Always Looks For On The LabelThe Fridge Setting An Expert Says Could Be Ruining Your Wine4 Wine 'Rules' An Expert Always Ignores
Let's Settle It: Are Corked Wines Really 'Better' Than Screw Tops?
!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb';cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","mediaId":"3d7f33ce-11d3-448e-9be3-813e90d14595"}).render("69270374e4b0ee43600b670f");});There are some wine “rules” that I, a non-expert, always believed all experts stood by – things like never putting ice in white wine and using the exact right glass for each drink. Luckily, Lauren Denyer, a WSET School London wine educator, previously disabused me of those notions. Speaking to HuffPost UK, she said: “There is a certain amount of pretension that can come with wine, which can be very off-putting and often incorrect”. But does that extend to what I thought was wine’s cardinal rule? In other words, are corked bottles always better than screw-top kinds? Here’s what Lee Issacs, a WSET Educator Development Manager who previously taught us how to read a wine bottle, had to say on the topic.Are corked wines always better?“Seeking closure on a challenging life experience can often end with one needing a glass or two of wine,” the expert told us. But, he explained, “Closure in wine... refers to how the bottle has been sealed”. Wines can be closed by a variety of corks, including natural, synthetic, grainy, and even Champagne-specific types. They can also be closed with screw caps and, more rarely, crown caps.“Thankfully,” Issacs said, “the days of people being judgmental and wary of screwcaps are almost completely behind us. The type of closure does not reflect the overall quality of the wine.”In fact, the wine educator thinks even canned versions can hold their own these days. “The days of canned wine just being a vehicle for any old naff alcohol” are gone, he wrote.“As consumers globally look to moderate their alcohol intake, wine in cans are agreat option.” Why do different wines have different closures? I was surprised to hear from Isaacs previously that “Most wines are made to be consumed without the need for ageing, and a good rule to follow is if the wine is particularly cheap and more than a year old, it may be a bit past it”. That’s partly why screw caps are quite common.“Screwcap wines tend to be designed for younger, fresher drinking, with cork stoppers still the choice for wines aiming to change and develop over time in bottle,” the pro advised. “If nothing else, a screwcap bottle is easy to reseal and stick in the fridge to keep [for] the next day… and there’s no need for a corkscrew.” Related...7 Signs A Wine Expert Always Looks For On The LabelThe Fridge Setting An Expert Says Could Be Ruining Your Wine4 Wine 'Rules' An Expert Always Ignores
