You’re at a wine-tasting party. The host brings out an expensive-looking bottle of 1997 PlumpJack Cabernet Sauvignon. But wait… where is the corkscrew? As you watch in total disbelief, the host actually grabs the cap and twists it off… aaaaaauuuuugghh! What kind of cruel joke is this? Caps are supposed to come on cheap wines, right? Wines best suited for embalming fluid, perhaps? Well… not exactly.
A lot of people have pondered the question: Capped vs. Corked Wine: Is There A Difference? One of the reasons caps came into being is a phenomenon called cork-taint contamination. Approximately 1 out of every 10 bottles of wine is ruined by this issue. It’s caused by a chemical known as trichloroanisole (TCA). This chemical forms when chlorine, used to sterilize the bottles, reacts with mold already present on the cork. The result? A musty, dull taste and other unpleasant characteristics. Human taste buds are incredibly sensitive to TCA, detecting it at concentrations as low as six parts per million. The main cause of this issue is that manufacturers are finding it increasingly hard to source quality cork to meet the demand, as more wine is sold today than ever before in history.
In the 1970s, in an effort to combat tainted corks, a French company called Pechiney Capsules created a special type of screw-cap for wine bottles known as the Stelvin model. Initially marketed for cheap wines, it didn’t gain much attention until the design was upgraded. The basic design includes a metal cap with a printable skirt and a non-reactive liner that comes into contact with the wine. The liner design has been upgraded into two models: one with a Saranex liner made of polyethylene and PVC, designed for wines that will age up to 10 years; and another with a Saran Film Etian liner, which includes a thin layer of tin between PVC and polyethylene. This design allows even less oxygen to enter and is used for wines that can age for 50 years or more. The caps completely eliminate any risk of tainted corks, and more high-quality wines are being capped instead of corked these days.
The Growth of Stelvin Caps in the Wine Industry
Stelvin cap sales have doubled in recent years, especially in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in traditional French wine regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Alsace. It’s estimated that capped wines make up about 10% of the total wine market, with the number continuing to grow. Since other spirits are normally sold in capped bottles, the transition to bottling wine with caps is an easy one. No special processes or materials are required, and caps are much easier to sterilize than corks. They’re also easier to install.
Some critics argue that wine needs slow oxygenation to age properly, while supporters of caps insist that the wine contains enough oxygen in the neck space and in the wine itself to facilitate this process. Moreover, the majority of wines are consumed young. Other advantages of caps include that they are much easier to open, don’t require tools like a corkscrew, pose no risk of cork particles falling into the wine, and reseal the bottle much better after opening. However, traditionalist winemakers argue that aging is a process where sulfur compounds develop under a lack of oxygen, meaning caps are only suitable for new white wines. Others disagree just as fervently.
What do wine aficionados think about caps? The consensus seems to be… there is no consensus. Blind tastings have been inconclusive, with many tasters actually preferring capped wine. Some tasters believe capped wine initially produces subtle oaken tones that quickly dissipate. After allowing the wine to breathe in the glass, the differences between corked and capped wines seem to disappear. In fact, when the wine is capped and allowed to breathe, there doesn’t seem to be much difference, even with aged wines.
Of course, there will always be die-hard traditionalists who believe that using corks is a major part of the wine experience. The ritual of ‘popping the cork’ is deeply ingrained in the mystique of wine. Only time will tell if the cap will ever become a regular part of the experience. For many, a bottle of wine must have a cork—anything else is blasphemy. The tradition of the cork ‘popping,’ followed by the slow and sensual pour of the exquisitely scented beverage into a polished glass, cannot be replaced by the sight and sound of a threaded cap being unscrewed by hand.
Tradition or not, if you’ve ever tasted a bottle of tainted wine, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for caps.
