Wine.com features a section of our shop devoted entirely to wines sealed with screw caps.
As more and more producers turn to this new way of protecting their fine wines, here are the answers to some
typical questions about the development of screw caps.
Aren't screw caps only for lesser wines?
Not at all. In the past, yes, screw caps were mainly used for
cheap supermarket wines. But in recent years many top-quality winemakers have become convinced that screw caps
actually protect wine better and preserve its true flavor longer than cork. Many studies support this idea.
What could be wrong with classic cork?
The main problem is cork taint caused by 2,4,6-trichloranisole (or TCA), a compound which develops in a small
percentage of all corks produced. TCA ruins the taste of wine, adding a distinctive musty aroma of wet newspapers
or cardboard. This is known as "corked" wine. TCA affects 5% or more of all bottled wine, though the casual drinker
may not always recognize it. Nobody quite knows how TCA gets into corks, or why it chooses one cork and not another.