I’ve written on the cork-taint subject before—that contamination of wine (usually involving a musty, wet-newspaper sort of smell) that’s typically the result of the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). As Sean Sullivan of Wine Enthusiast explains, “TCA is formed in tree bark when fungi, mold or certain bacteria come into contact with a group of fungicides and insecticides, collectively referred to as halophenols. These were widely used during the 1950–1980s and remain in the soil. Fungi have a defence mechanism that chemically alters these compounds, rendering them harmless to the organism but creating TCA in the process.”

Most winemakers generally believe that cork taint affects 2%-5% of all cork-sealed wine bottles, but Australia’s Wakefield Wines thinks it can be as much as 15%. That sounds rather high to me. But any bottled spoiled by an infected cork seems like such a waste. It can also permanently ruin your opinion of a particular wine (or the entire brand) if you don’t recognize the cork taint in the moment and instead assume those are the wine’s typical aromas and tastes.

That’s why Wakefield abandoned corks years ago and instead subscribes to screw cap-type seals—even on it’s $1,000 Legacy! Further, their award-winning winemaker Adam Eggins is also more than happy with the continued in-bottle maturing without the need of a cork. The fact that screw caps are a lot cheaper than employing corks doesn’t hurt either—nor does the fact that you don’t need to bother with storing screw-cap bottles horizontally (as corks will dry out when the bottle is stored vertically for a extended period).

And while I used to be a staunch supporter of the sheer ceremony of popping the corks of fine wines, I’m starting to lean to the convenience of the screw cap (it’s often nice not to have to scramble for a corkscrew).

Here’s the take of Wakefield’s Export Manager and company Director Justin Taylor: