CORK OR SCREWCAP?

“The soft extraction note of an aged cork being withdrawn
has the true sound of a man opening his heart to his friends. . .
That's if the darn'd thing doesn't crumble into the wine.”

Cork

For centuries, cork has been the traditional closure for fine wine, and today it still seals about half of the world's red wines. Much of its enduring popularity comes from the long-held belief that cork "breathes," allowing wine to mature gracefully over time.

In reality, modern research has shown that the closure itself plays a far smaller role in aging than once believed. Unfortunately, natural cork also comes with a downside. Worldwide, an estimated 5% of corks suffer from cork taint, while many others allow inconsistent amounts of oxygen into the bottle, meaning identical wines can age quite differently.

Screwcaps

Modern screwcaps provide an exceptionally consistent seal. They are manufactured to allow precisely controlled levels of oxygen transfer over time, virtually eliminating bottle-to-bottle variation. They also completely eliminate the risk of cork taint.

Wines aged under screwcap often retain greater freshness, brighter fruit, and a purer expression of the vineyard and winemaker's intent. Rather than relying on chance, every bottle has the opportunity to develop much as the winemaker envisioned.

Bottles sealed with screwcaps can be stored upright or on their side without affecting the integrity of the closure, making them ideal for both short- and long-term cellaring. They're also quick and easy to open, reseal effortlessly, and require no corkscrew.

Our Decision

In many ways, the choice comes down to philosophy. Cork celebrates tradition, ceremony, and romance. Screwcaps embrace precision, consistency, and confidence that every bottle will perform as intended.

Drawing on the experience of our sister wineries in Australia and France, and after nearly thirty years of growing grapes, crafting wines, and cellaring thousands of bottles—under both cork and screwcap—we finally chose screwcaps to ensure the future enjoyment of our wines.

For us, preserving the quality of the wine inside the bottle has always been more important than preserving tradition outside it.