Cork vs screw cap, the eternal duel under the scrutiny of Gambero Rosso

Often, the difference lies in the closure. The closure of wine makes all the difference in the world, as known by the "Svitati," a group of winemakers who have come together to promote the use of screw caps, challenging traditions and deeply rooted common beliefs in Europe. The acid test will take place at Vinitaly at the Gambero Rosso stand on Tuesday, April 16th, at 1 p.m. A blind tasting of 12 wines, the same wine and vintage tasted with cork closures and screw caps. The "Svitati" meet winemakers and journalists for a comprehensive comparison in a covered tasting.

Screw Cap vs the beloved Cork

Are we sure that screw caps are ideal only for young whites? How do they perform on reds 10 years after harvest? And does it really slow down the wine aging process so significantly? These will be just some of the questions at the heart of the tasting. While in recent years, technical closures have also become accepted in Italy, very few reds are still closed with screw caps. In some cases, it is precisely the regulations of Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG) that prohibit their use. And the fact that many winemakers have decided to apply them only to the cheapest wines has certainly not helped to raise their average perception. But something is changing, and quickly too. In Verona, never like in this edition, there will be labels, even top ones, with only screw cap closures.

And the work of the "Svitati" is finding a more fertile ground than ever. Personalities such as Walter Massa, Mario Pojer, Graziano Prà, Silvio Jermann, Frantz Haas Junior, and Sergio Germano (the latest addition to the group) have sparked an increasingly fervent and intense debate. The difficulty of maintaining fragrance and freshness in wines due to the monstrous global warming underway has accelerated the process, along with the lever of sustainability, which certainly plays into the hands of the so-called Stelvin. The capsule can indeed manage a lot the fresh and crispy note of a wine. For some, it's as if a longer-lasting snapshot were taken, a more articulated freeze-frame. For others, the screw cap deprives the wine of its ability to change, to evolve over time, in a sort of mummification effect. In Verona, the difficult judgment will be passed.

What will we taste in Verona during Vinitaly

Here are the labels available for tasting in Verona (stored in the cellar under the same conditions, cork and screw cap):

Langhe Riesling Herzu 2016 Ettore Germano
Soave Classico Otto 2014 Graziano Prà
Vintage Tunina 2013 Jermann
Müller Thurgau 2007 Pojer e Sandri
Pinot Nero 2013 Franz Haas
Monleale 2016 Vigneti Massa

Hosted by: Lorenzo Ruggeri, deputy editor of the Vini d'Italia guide and curator of the Bere Bene guide