Traditional cork or easy screwtop?

Are good wines always sealed with corks, and bad wines with screwcaps?
I hear this question a lot during wine tastings or when I serve wine.
The short answer is: no.

If you have a little time to read further, I tell you more.

Both corks and screw caps are used on high-quality wines, and the best choice of closure depends on the winemaker's final result for the wine, whether it is meant for early drinking or for aging.

The cost of it is another important factor for the choice: high-quality corks for age-worthy wines can cost up to $0.50 each.

The way a bottle is sealed does matter, though: it controls how much oxygen gets in, which affects how the wine ages and when it will taste its best.

Here are the four main types of closures:
🍇 Natural cork
A renewable, natural product. No two corks are the same, and their quality and density can vary.
They are made from the bark of cork oak trees (Quercus suber), harvested every 7–9 years without damaging the tree. Portugal is the world leader in cork production, followed by Spain and Morocco. This is the only closure with centuries of proven success for long-term aging.

🍇 Technical cork
Made from cork particles. A more affordable version of natural cork.

🍇 Synthetic corks
Reliable and cost-effective, great for everyday wines, but not proven for long aging.

🍇 Screwcaps
Convenient, consistent, and excellent at preventing cork taint and corked wine. Mostly used for wines meant to be enjoyed young.

For everyday wines, any of these closures will do the job, but I love wine with cork, I feel I am drinking wine, not a soft drink.

Your choice often comes down to convenience, or whether you enjoy the little ritual of pulling a cork and hearing that “pop.”
For wines you plan to age for many years, natural cork is still the safest bet.

"My wine is corked!"
Why does this happen? Should you send it back?
That's for another blog, I hope you are interested to know...