In France, we are used to tasting a good bottle of wine by first removing the cork. But this little “plop” of the popping cork is not always heard, and more and more winegrowers are opting for the screw cap to close their wine bottles. Let's discover the advantages and disadvantages of this method of capping.
Cork stopper and screw cap: different uses depending on the country
France is a country of traditions, where wine holds a very special place. Cradle of the greatest wines in the world, France perpetuates the gestures adopted by our ancestors, and the use of cork stoppers is one of them. Remember that this system of corking wine bottles was created more than 2,000 years ago, and that it has largely proven itself. But, if it is now part of the collective unconscious of the French, we must recognize some faults (cork taste, gas exchange, etc.), which push some winegrowers to turn to other methods of closing bottles. , like the screw cap.
Today, nearly 80% of wine bottles produced in France are closed with cork stoppers . But the figure drops to 60% on the global market, where screw caps are increasingly taking over.
Screw cap: the pros and cons
Manufactured in the 1960s to meet practical requirements, the aluminum screw cap is not unanimously accepted. We then discover advantages, but also disadvantages.
The advantages of the screw cap
Among the advantages that have led winegrowers to cap their wine bottles with a screw cap, we have selected a few.
- The capsule is very easy to open , and opening a bottle of wine can then be done without a corkscrew;
- The screw cap is made of recyclable and renewable material ;
- The capsule allows constant quality of the wine ;
- It is possible to easily open and close the wine bottle;
- The risk of cork taint is zero, because the TCA molecule responsible for this wine defect is absent from aluminum.
The weak points of the screw cap
If the screw cap can seduce with its advantages, it also has some disadvantages which continue to convince French winegrowers to stick to the cork stopper.
- Without gas exchange, the evolutionary process is greatly limited , if not almost non-existent;
- The French collective unconscious has a rather low-end image of capsule bottles ;
- This type of corking requires the use of specific wine bottles , which can increase the overall cost of production.
The bad reputation of capsule wine bottles
As we have seen, the screw cap suffers from a not very glorious reputation. We prefer the traditional cork stopper, which lets the wine breathe, and looks much more distinguished when uncorking the bottle.
However, this type of shutter has been proven for more than 60 years, and it can be interesting to combine the two methods depending on the wines. We can then choose the aluminum capsule for wines that have finished evolving, or for wines for quick consumption, and opt for cork for wines that will age.
Screw cap vintages from our estates
Within the MDCV group, our winegrowers have chosen to adopt different shuttering techniques depending on their vintage. Although the cork remains the majority, we also offer cuvées with capsules.
- KIF rosé 2020 - IGP Méditerranée : fresh and modern, this rosé wine from Provence is perfect as an aperitif and seduces with its surprising bottle and aluminum cap;
- La Petite des Bertrands rosé - Wine of France : inspired by the French art of living, this fresh, fruity and gourmet rosé wine is intended to be convivial during an aperitif with friends;
- Inspiration rosé 2022 - AOP Côtes de Provence : a reflection of the Provençal terroir, the Inspiration du Château de Berne cuvée is intended to be elegant and very subtle.
Cuvées with glass stoppers from our estates
If aluminum and cork are common all over the world, the MDCV group also sometimes opts for glass stoppers , a perfectly airtight and very chic closure solution.
- Romance rosé 2022 - IGP Méditerranée : everything is elegance in this bottle of rosé wine, from the fresh and fruity aromas to the pale, salmon color, and even the elegant bottle with its reusable glass stopper;
- Maison N°9 by Post Malone rosé - 2021 IGP Méditerranée : expression of the Mediterranean terroir, this mineral and refreshing rosé wine is presented in a bottle with a very elegant design.
If the screw cap has many advantages, the cork stopper still has a bright future ahead of it. At Château de Berne, we combine the strengths of both to offer bottles of wine perfectly highlighted by corking techniques adapted to the specificities of each wine .
