By saving on a cheaper wine stopper, you end up paying in another way: through the taste and, ultimately, the value of the wine. Let's not sugar coat it; plastic just doesn’t cut it. A natural cork stopper for a wine bottle is a completely different story: airtight, safe, and protecting the full flavour.
You’ve got plenty of options:
If you're looking for a stopper for sparkling wine, consider the following models:
TCA (trichloroanisole) is a chemical compound that can sometimes cause wine to develop a slight "corked" taste. But don’t worry, even if this happens, the wine is still safe to drink. TCA only affects the aroma, not your health.
The lower the TCA, the less chance the wine will take on a corked taste. So, if this aspect is particularly important to you, choose stoppers with low or nearly zero TCA content.
All our stoppers undergo rigorous TCA testing.
Absolutely yes! Natural cork has several advantages that beat plastic:
Yes, its flexibility allows it to fit perfectly to the neck of the bottle. It provides a tight seal and protects the wine from excess air. This prevents oxidation, which could worsen the taste and aroma of the wine. When it comes to preventing leaks and preserving quality, a cork stopper is one of the best solutions available!
It’s best to store them horizontally. This keeps the stopper moist, preventing it from drying out and shrinking. If the stopper dries out, it can lose its seal, allowing the wine to oxidize and lose its flavour.
It’s also important to remember that wine should be stored in a cool, dark place with a constant temperature – ideally between 10 and 15°C. Humidity should be around 70%, which further helps keep the stopper in good condition.
Natural wine stoppers have several key advantages.
When it comes to price, natural cork can indeed be a bit more expensive than synthetic alternatives. However, the high quality makes up for it: natural cork is durable, eco-friendly, and allows the wine to mature better, resulting in a richer flavour. You can be sure that the wine will develop properly over the years in the bottle. Synthetic stoppers completely block air access, so the wine doesn’t have the chance to mature correctly.
And what about the environment? Don’t worry! Harvesting natural cork doesn’t harm the trees. In fact, cork oaks are carefully nurtured, and their bark is harvested regularly. This can extend their lifespan to as much as... 200 years!
Interestingly, the carbon footprint of a single natural wine stopper is around -276 g CO2. This means that the stopper absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits during production!