The wine cork has always been distinguished by its functional feature - it was used to close bottles of drinks. In ancient times, bottles were covered with tree bark, various improvised materials, and even stones. But, as you know, progress is taking big steps, and it also affected wine corks.
Today, a wine bottle stopper is not only a way to close a bottle, but also an accessory with its own aesthetic function. There are even designer wine corks with a very unusual appearance. The cost of such a cork is sometimes higher than the cost of the bottle itself with quality wine.
Regular corks today also come in a wide variety: vacuum corks, glass corks, traditional corks, wine bottle corks with a knob, etc. Each type has its own specific characteristics that determine safety, quality and ease of opening.
In this article, we will analyze in detail the types of corks for wine bottles, find out what they are made of, discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional wine stopper
Traditional bottle caps are made from oak bark, distinguished by their finely porous structure. Such a cork allows some air to pass through itself, which contributes to the ripening of wine, improves its aroma, taste, color.
Bottles with such corks must be stored horizontally so that the cap material does not dry out and the alcoholic drink does not deteriorate. At the same time, specialists do not exclude a possible defect of the cork - the content of bacteria and trichloranisole in the material, which negatively affect the taste and smell of the drink. It is impossible to prevent this defect, therefore, according to the law, winemakers are obliged to replace the damaged product with another one.
Recently, natural corks of various types have become very popular. High-quality material and modern design of the product is ideal for a variety of wines.
Agglomerated (pressed) wine stopper
Agglomerated wine bottle cork is made from crushed oak bark scraps mixed with synthetic materials that help the bark pieces stick together optimally. In the future, the corks themselves are formed from this mass.
They have a fairly affordable price, and the mixing of materials eliminates the negative impact on the alcoholic beverage. Of the minuses, it can be noted that the material practically does not breathe, so wine with such corks cannot be stored for a long time.
Glass wine corks
Sometimes wine bottles are sealed with glass corks. They have their merits:
- they are differentbeautiful appearance;
- guarantee a secure and tight seal;
- comply with environmental standards;
- good wine under such a stopper can remain tasty and of high quality for a long time.
But glass stoppers also have disadvantages:
- they are treated with a special polymer to ensure tightness;
- wine does not ripen, that is, its taste and aroma characteristics are not improved;
- The biggest disadvantage is the high cost.
Synthetic wine stopper
Synthetic cork for wine bottles is a hot option for the 21st century. Oil, corn or sugar cane are traditionally used to make synthetic products. If poor quality material is used, this may cause the wine to smell bad.
Synthetic corks also have their advantages:
- easy to produce;
- their cost is low;
- you can determine the amount of air that enters the wine.
Plastic wine corks
Plastic cork is based on synthetic plastic, but foaming technology is excluded. Such corks close the bottle very tightly, while opening it can be quite difficult. Usually inexpensive sparkling wines are covered with plastic products.
Screw caps
Wine bottle screw cap is made of aluminum alloy withan internal plastic gasket that prevents air from entering the bottle. Such corks are becoming more and more popular in winemaking, as quality drinks retain a pleasant taste until the very opening. However, drinks with such lids cannot be stored for a long time.
Screw caps close even expensive drinks, which initially have an impeccable taste.
Vacuum caps for wine bottles
Vacuum stoppers are very popular these days as they are convenient to use if you want to keep a drink in an already opened bottle. Everyone knows that a good quality wine, if kept open for more than a day, loses its taste and aroma.
Vacuum cork, as it were, pumps air out of the bottle, due to this, the wine can be stored for up to 30 days. In its appearance, such a cork is no different from the usual one. Materials used in manufacturing may come into contact with food.
Speaking of popular wine corks, one cannot fail to mention the OXO cork. OXO wine bottle stopper is suitable for short-term storage of wine, universal for all types of bottles. Features a soft, comfortable lever and durable stainless steel construction.
These are the most popular wine corks, but there are actually many more varieties. You can buy wine corks not only to use them for their intended purpose, but also as a stylish accessory or gift item. Of course they alldiffer in quality, ease of use, but each of the varieties has its own advantages and disadvantages, and therefore deserves attention.
