Why would a wine have a screw cap instead of a cork?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Why does this wine have a screw-on lid, rather than the traditional cork?
—Sheila, Greensboro, N.C.
Dear Sheila,
I’m a fan of twist-offs, which are easy to open, easy to re-seal, recyclable and never crumble in my hands. Many producers have switched over to screw caps and other non-cork closures as a way to ensure quality and reduce the possibility of contamination with TCA (the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole), which can make its way into a bottle via the cork and cause unpleasant musty, damp notes in a wine.
You’ll see twist-offs topping all types of wine from affordable, everyday quaffers to some very high-end, ageworthy wines. Often folks ask how to store bottles topped with a screw cap, and the answer is, any way you want.
—Dr. Vinny
