Try asking anyone in the wine industry whether wine producers should move from cork to screw cap and you’re bound to get an endless, passionate debate. I found myself in the middle of such an ordeal at the launch of the “Turn 360⁰” campaign, a joint initiative by the European Aluminium Foil Association, Guala Closures and Hulamin, all stakeholders in the screw cap industry.

Personally, I believe there’s a time and a place for everything in life. Coming from a consumer angle, I’ll never rejected a bottle of wine based on its closure. My wine buying decisions are based on price and occasion. I guess my wine collection reflects this, as it’s pretty much a 50/50 split between cork and screw cap.

Easy access must be the biggest advantage screw cap has over cork.  Let’s be honest. Who wants to look for a cork screw after a killer day at work when you can just crack open that bottle and fill your glass to the rim?

Some other advantages include a guarantee that aluminium closures does not affect the taste of a wine, due to its inherent strength and corrosion resistance.

Another fair factor, according to the  aluminium-closures.org website, is the  green factor. Did you know that about 75% of the aluminium ever produced is still in use today?

I could go into the technological and economical advantages of screw caps, but hell, that’s cutting into my wine time.

I believe there’s a space in the market for both. So does Chenin King, Bruwer Raats, who said: ”Once a wine exceeds a certain price point – which mostly depends on the time it spends in barrel – I prefer to use a cork.”

I’ll drink to that! Cork does come at a higher price and when you find an affordable bottle of wine under cork in a supermarket, more often than not it’s closed with a low quality alternative to natural cork. If that’s the case, best you bag a screw cap wine and take advantage of its easy access benefits.