Twist Top Or Cork?

The other night I had a Wyndham Estate Pinot Noir from Australia that was off. Now that may not sound like big news but it was a first for me.

You see the wine had a twist top or in other words no cork. Comparisons have been made on whether wine is better kept with a cork in the bottle or a twist top. The results have shown in many cases the twist top has exceeded that of the cork in keeping wine well until consumed.

With cork being so expensive and a winemaker's efforts in keeping a bottle of wine as reasonable as possible price wise , many have opted to use a twist top or storvin ( another term used for twist top ).

However when does price become that much of a concern? Although there may be an upcoming shortage of cork on the horizon let's not forget that the ageing process will differ depending on which method is used. Yes for sure on lighter tasting reds and some whites that are meant to be consumed young a twist top will do the job , but for any wine that is to be laid down a cork should always be used.

Why you may ask. Well the cork adds that much more complexity to an aged bottle of wine because through cork there is a tiny amount of oxidation that is permitted over time allowing the wine to age gracefully like in a great Barolo or first growth Bordeaux.

Whereas with a twist top there is none and some are worried that the twist top may take away from a great bottle of wine increasing the chance of unwanted flavours over the long haul destroying that wine's reputation. Who would want to take that chance to save a few dollars?

I think you can be quite sure that corks will always be found in wines that have to be laid down for a good many years.

Although I do like a twist top when you are in a hurry and need to open a bottle of wine quickly.

Now what have you noticed out there in the industry. Have you had many experiences where you have had a wine off that has had a twist top? This was my first one.