Wine exposed to air oxidises - becoming harsh and unpleasant. The Romans used to pour a little olive oil on top of the wine to prevent contact with air. After experiments with pitch, leather and even glass stoppers, the Victorians happened upon cork, which comes from the bark of a particular species of oak tree. Unfortunately, corks can contain microbes that produce the powerful musty-smelling chemical 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which causes a "corked" or "off" taste.
To reduce the risk of TCA taint, some manufacturers are replacing cork with sterile plastic stoppers or screw tops. Plastic "corks" do reduce the proportion of bottles that become "corked", but they do not give quite as good a seal as traditional cork, and therefore the wine can, very slowly, oxidise. This won't matter for most wine, which is drunk within a year or so of bottling, but is a problem for fine wines that are aged for years in the bottle. However, screw tops offer a better seal against oxygen than traditional corks, not only preventing wines from becoming "corked" but also giving better protection against oxidation. That said, the interaction of the wine with the cork certainly plays a role in the taste, so wine matured in a bottle with a screw top will certainly taste different from the same wine matured in a bottle sealed with a cork. Which is better, only time will tell.
The Guardian
To reduce the risk of TCA taint, some manufacturers are replacing cork with sterile plastic stoppers or screw tops. Plastic "corks" do reduce the proportion of bottles that become "corked", but they do not give quite as good a seal as traditional cork, and therefore the wine can, very slowly, oxidise. This won't matter for most wine, which is drunk within a year or so of bottling, but is a problem for fine wines that are aged for years in the bottle. However, screw tops offer a better seal against oxygen than traditional corks, not only preventing wines from becoming "corked" but also giving better protection against oxidation. That said, the interaction of the wine with the cork certainly plays a role in the taste, so wine matured in a bottle with a screw top will certainly taste different from the same wine matured in a bottle sealed with a cork. Which is better, only time will tell.
The Guardian
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