Wine etiquette

Jason Clarke, Contributor

Ladies and gentlemen, for the millions in attendance, let's get ready to rumble! Here is the showdown of unspeakable proportions, the debate of screw caps versus the traditional cork. For centuries, corks have been the preferred method of sealing wine in a bottle, and considered to be the final touch to a beautiful bottle of wine. But with time and research, it has been proven that there is no absolute answer as to which is better.

Corks can be both natural and synthetic, both having their own merits. More traditional wines tend to have a natural cork, and some of the newer, more value-priced wines have synthetic corks which help to drive price down. It is becoming a growing trend to see winemakers using synthetic corks over the traditional cork, but both get the job done pretty well. If not properly stored, over time traditional cork has a way of tainting the wine and altering its very flavour, not to mention break apart. I mentioned this some time ago in dealing with the proper storage of wine. For corks, it's recommended to lay the bottle flat to keep the cork moist so it doesn't dry out and break up when you are ready to enjoy it. The synthetic cork was the solution to that problem, and gives the same great pop when you open that bottle of yumminess.

Screw caps came into wine production in the 1960s and are increasing in popularity. When I spoke about Australian wines last week, I noted that quite a number of them were screw tops. I suppose the Australians were up to something. What a screw top has done is made wine easy to consume anywhere and anytime, regardless of whether you have a cork screw to open it or not. Yes, it doesn't have the same pop, but I find that it does store wine better after it's open if you don't intend to consume the entire bottle in one sitting and keeps out air better when you reseal.

I thought it would be great to try a few screw cap wines this week. When you visit the supermarket this week, pick up one and let me know what you think.

This Thursday, join me at bin26 for Thirsty Thursdays, and enjoy good wine with great company.

I am not an expert, merely a wine enthusiast sharing my thoughts and experiences. Feel free to share your own experiences at wineenthusiastja@gmail.com.