Farewell to Cork: consumers prefer screw caps

Farewell, dear cork: screw caps are winning over more and more consumers!

Farewell to the cork stopper – according to a survey conducted by IPSOS, a growing number of consumers prefer opening fine wine bottles with an aluminium cap, drawing increasing consensus especially from foreign consumers.

For centuries, great wines have been bottled with cork stoppers. Indeed, many winemakers have long placed their trust in cork stoppers for preserving their finest wines, relying on them to keep the organoleptic qualities and characteristics of the wine intact. Annual production of cork stoppers amounts to around 15–20 billion units, as cork possesses unique properties – impermeability and the ability to retain oxygen – that guarantee proper wine bottle sealing and long-term preservation, especially for fine wines.

Several surveys conducted by IPSOS on a sample of consumers from various European markets – including France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain – as well as from the USA, revealed that the cork stopper has been overtaken in preference by the common screw cap. The survey confirmed just how much consumer preference matters in the marketplace: aluminium caps are favoured over other closure types, both for convenience and preservation, but above all to avoid wasting fine wines spoiled by a corked flavour.

The research found that in Italy, the majority of wine consumers still have a preference for the cork stopper, although 34% of consumers would prefer opening via an aluminium cap. In fact, 61% of respondents consider opening a wine bottle with an aluminium cap easier. The market for aluminium caps continues to grow in line with demand, though Italian uptake still lags behind overall market demand.

An unpleasant characteristic of the cork stopper is the typical off-flavour it can impart, ruining even fine wines. The survey revealed that 50% of Italian wine consumers have been forced to discard entire bottles – including fine wines – due to cork taint, which is why they would prefer to purchase wine sealed with aluminium caps.