Why use a cork on wine bottle?

The reason winemakers are sticking with cork is that it lets the wine breathe.

If you are bottling a wine to be consumed NOW (not aged), a screw cap is perfectly fine. But the theory is, that in order to age well, wine needs that little bit of air that permeates a cork. Since screw caps are a new thing for wine, no one really knows how well wine will age - what a 20 year old bottle of wine with a screw cap would taste like.

I suspect as a few more years pass and winemakers and consumers are able to try wines aged in screw caps, this may change if the wines actually progressed in the bottle.

Corks For Wine Bottles

Just to be clear, despite what the bartender says a cork is never bad for the wine. Although screw caps may keep the wine fresh for a long time, there are some advantages to using corks when you plan to cellar a wine for 10+ years. The cork can (and will) catch some or all of the sentiment that would normally end up in the wine.

If you're drinking wine for under $20, a screw cap works just as well, but don't expect the high end wineries to ever make the change. Much of the wine industry is based on tradition, it can change for the better, but don't expect change just for change's sake.

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RE:

Why use a cork on wine bottle?

if a screw cap works just as good for soda, why keep using the cork for wine bottles?

Some winemakers started using the synthetic corks to avoid the contamination of the wine caused by TCA-contaminated corks. I have to agree that sunthetic corks are very hard to handle. But there are different types of corkscrews to use. Rated as the best by almost all professionals is the WAITER's CORKSCREW. This is the conventional corksrew except that it is double action. The first action pulls the cork halfway; then, the second action pulls the cork all the way by a very simple hand movement as you manipulate the corksrew. It may sound complicated as I explain it, but it is really easy once you have the waiters corksrew. Another handy gadget is call RABBIT (looks like bunny ears). It may be a little pricy but it works real easy.

You hit the nail on the head, so to speak. Corks don't really do anything...sometimes they can even be bad for the wine. Screw caps (which are fairly common nowadays) are just as good. I think they do it now, just to preserve tradition. I also get to look cool when opening a bottle, so I don't mind.

have you noticed that once you open a bottle of soda it will go flat even if you put the lid back on? after a day or two.

thats because its not completely air tight.

with wine, if you keep it stored on its side, the cork will stay wet, which will keep it expanded and keep the bottle air tight, to keep the alcohol from evaporating out of it. if the alcohol evaporates, you are left with vinegar. so the cork keeps the wine fresher, longer. some cheap wines use screw on lids, like sodas, though.

Many companies have switched to screw caps for wine but consumers are conservative and associate screw caps with cheap wine. There seems to be no difference when you compare real corks, artificial corks, and screw caps in blind taste tests.

umm...maybe , im not sure, to preserve the flavour of the wine, after being kept for many years to get the right flavour, so they put corks which is like totally airtight,and i m thinking soda doesnt have corks cuz it's just carbonated water, and doesnt have any flavour to lose, except gas. well, i know it isnt a good answer, but its just my thoughts.:)

You will find fashions are changing and the Cork is being replaced by the screw top.In wine tastings , they can taste no difference between the two.

In fact there is no chance of "corkage " with a screw top.