Environmentalists fear that if all wineries adopt screwcaps, the cork forests in Europe will be developed, but

if the cork industry just better promotes cork FLOORING (a great environmental product), shouldn't that be enough to offset losing the stopper market? Forest concerns notwithstanding, cork DOES fail as a stopper by allowing cork taint to ruin up to 20% of all wine produced annually. Wineries could even help promote this, not least by using cork flooring (perhaps outside of production areas) themselves. cattdaddy: What am I asking? I'm not sure what you are saying. Is it good to have cork in forests? I haven't asked or declared anything about such a concept. What does that have to do with my question? Forgive me, but you really seem uneducated about current wine trends. Plumpjack costs over $100 and uses a screwcap and has for years. Even traditional *gasp* French appellations and using more Stelvin screwcaps. Environmentalists have made the wine corks an issue, if you don't think it's an issue, tell them that, not me. This is their assertion that screwcaps will lead to less need of growing cork oaks, thus leading to cutting of forests in favor of more lucrative real estate deals: http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/08/28/Corks_0829.html (The above is an AP article by Sarah Skidmore available on many websites.) As far as recycling cork, where can I do that where I live? Where I live we DO recycle aluminum (the material in the screwcap) David, 15% may be the high end of the anecdotal claims (from the wine industry itself, not me). However, you also appear to be mistaken. I read alot of wine periodicals and I've never once read a winemaker state they were switching to screwcaps because of a lack of cork!!! Show me your contrary evidence, please, I would love to see it. The only reason winemakers are even daring to try to overcome the silly romance of corks in the marketplace is because screwcaps do not permit the wine to be tainted by the compounds cork allows to taint wines: http://www.winepros.org/wine101/vincyc-tca.htm "Damage to the wine industry annually from Cork Taint is estimated to be $10-billion worldwide." And just logically ... if there was a cork shortage, but winemakers were moving toscrewcaps, why would environmentalists be protesting this move?? Currently wine stoppers are the most important part of the cork trade. If a shortage were real, it would be for other uses, such as flooring.

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Human history is fraught with common sense ideas being rallied against as a threat to tradition. I wonder what the evolutionary benefit of reluctance is?
I never really thought through the problem of cork production stats before; thank you for bringing it to my attention. Another great use for cork is for wall paneling--think of all the clever cartoons and notes you can thumbtack to your cork covered walls! Cork is supposed to be good for sound proofing when used as a wall covering. Cork soles on shoes are not only quiet when walking but fairly water resistant when treated properly. I could go on, I suppose, but now I should just "put a cork in it" and leave.
what are you asking? Is it so bad to have cork in forests? That would be a good thing right. Cork is a renewable source plus you could recycle the product. What damage could the wine industry due? Cheap wines use plastic corks higher end wine uses cork an I don't feel that they sell that much product to deplete resources. don't run scared yet chicken little. Lets concentrate on more important issues.
The reason wineries are talking about going to screw tops is because of the LACK of cork trees to be used, NOT because people think its a bad way to close the bottle... 20% of wine goes bad a year because of cork where did you dream up that number ?
i know it makes no difference to the quality of wine but i like my popping sound on friday night - it's a nice tradition.
correct