Why wine bottles are sealed with cork?

One of the most common myths that still prevail with people about corks is that if it’s a screw cap, then it is a cheap wine. The first thing that you have to understand is that the quality of the wine has nothing to with the caps in which they are covered. Yes, I still do agree that caps do influence the wine that is stored in but not to a greater extent. Different types of companies and brands use different corks to seal the bottles. The 5 most commonly found types of corks are natural corks, synthetic corks, glass corks, screw caps and crown caps. Companies have their own reasons for using a particular cap. But here we are going to see the reason behind using one particular type of cap that is the cork.

Coming of the corks:

If you think corks came first, you are wrong. Screw corks were the first type of corks that came into the market.  When the corks came in, they were largely used by the people. People preferred corks over screw caps as it was a renewable source and can be reused as many times as you want. You can preserve the corks and use it for various other purposes as well.

While to trying to learn about corks the first thing that you have to remember is that there are two types of corks, the natural one, and the synthetic one. While the natural cork is made out of wood, the synthetic ones are made out of plastic polymer.

Change in the quality of wine:

• Most high-end winemakers in the recent times use corks rather than screw caps, and you see for yourself that there are a lot of benefits. But my point is that what happens to the quality of the wine? Will changing the seal type from screw caps to corks make a difference to the wine that is stored in?
• Yes, as it is widely believed, the cap that is used to seal a bottle makes a difference in the quality of the wine. But again it is imperative that you hold the types in mind. As we already mentioned there are two types of corks, natural and the synthetic ones. Though natural cork is made out of bark and doesn’t harm the wine if the good quality bark is not used, it might cause the wine to smell bad.
• On the other hand, in case of synthetic corks, they are not a good choice if you are someone who will hold the wine for a long time. Over a period the synthetic cork smell transfers to the bottle and gives the wine a similar smell.

So the final thing that you have to remember is that corks do influence the wine inside, but the type of cork has nothing to do with the brand or the quality of the wine. Also, any wine with any cork if used appropriately over the correct period will not harm the wine or the user.