You’re opening your favorite bottle of wine, you take the sharp cutter blade and begin to cut, scrape or pull the foil capsule off the bottle. Where does it go next? Probably into the trash. Hey, we all do this; I’m guilty as well. And it’s just a little bit of foil, no big. But when you consider that the US alone generates approximately 286 tons of waste per year, much of which ends up in landfill, a little foil can become a big problem.

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In days of old, foil capsules were placed on corks because they prevented rodents and cork weevils from getting into the bottle.

Historically, these foils were made from lead, which we now know is poisonous. Lead was phased out by law in many countries beginning in the late 1970’s.

Capsules are now made from polyethylene or aluminum, which can be recycled, but more often than not, ends up in landfill.

Another issue with capsules is that they obscure the cork and fill level in the bottle. This is important – if the fill is not close to the cork, the wine may become oxidized. Which means not-so-great wine for you.

Additionally, there’s a great expense to the winemaker by using capsules, costing approximately $25,000 per year.

Now, there’s a growing movement to eliminate capsules altogether. With advances in quality control and cellar management, weevils and rodents aren’t the problem they once were. And with screw caps, there’s no issue at all.

Screw caps have steadily become the preferred choice for bottle closure, with many benefits. According to George Zaboura of Royal Park Fine Wines, “screw cap closures are better for the wine. There’s less chance of air getting into the bottle and less chance of the wine being tainted.”

And since they’re made from aluminum, you can recycle your screw caps!

An easy way is to put them back on the empty bottle and place in the recycle bin. You can also collect them in a large can, and once filled, crimp the top and place with your recyclables. This keeps the caps from flying about.

There is still much love, however, for the cork. Cork has, historically, been the preferred wine closure for generations, steeped in tradition. Made from the bark of the cork oak tree which is grown primarily in Northeast Africa, Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco and Tunisia; one tree’s bark can provide enough cork for hundreds of bottles. The tree remains unharmed during the harvest – the bark is scraped off the surface.The material is a renewable, sustainable and biodegradable which makes it an environmentally friendly bottle closure. Natural corks can be recycled. Find out how to recycle yours here!

Additionally, microscopic pores allow minute amounts of air to contact the wine which is key for proper aging, something the screw cap is lacking. With many reds, some of them investments, sometimes that microscopic bit of air can be the difference between a spectacular sip, and one that’s pretty good.

And where would we be without the ceremony and tradition? Popping a cork is much more romantic and satisfying than twisting off a cap.

You may occasionally notice some bottles are dipped in a wax. This is another way to seal the wine without the capsule but it’s very time consuming and costly for the winemaker. That’s why you’ll probably only see the wax seal on very select, more expensive wines. When I was out looking for wines, I found only three vintages (out of the entire wine shop) that had a wax seal.

Cork has its share of drawbacks – the quality can be variable, the material can be fragile and the cost is up to three times more than a screw caps. As well, there is the issue of cork taint – which can make your wine taste like wet newspaper. No one wants their wine to taste like wet newspaper. That’s nasty!

As with any debate about the environment, there are many points of view. So the choice is yours. With more of a push towards sustainability, reducing waste and recycling, there can be many ways to love our wine and help make a healthier planet. 🌎🌱💚

Cheers!🍷

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