In this space one year ago I wrote that there is no single neat answer to the question of what is the best overall wine bottle closure. I still believe that. Corks are not going away any time soon, even though the less expensive alternatives—screwcaps and some types of synthetics—have proven their reliability.

But what if I’m being way too conservative, and what’s really happening is that the transition to a new paradigm is occurring right now? We just don’t recognize it yet. What if screwcaps eventually take over the wine closures market? Then the wineries that stick with corks will be left behind, holding the bag of an outdated technology that consumers and the industry have dropped as they race down the path to the future.

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