Every wine magazine or newsletter I pick up seems to have a fair share of ink devoted to the closure debate and screw caps are seemingly in the lead. Most wine professionals around the globe believe that American consumers still think wines sealed with anything but a natural cork are cheap – not inexpensive, but cheap. I wonder if that is really true? As American wine sippers become more educated, their bais against screw caps is naturally softened. Let’s face it, while natural cork is still the most used closure, acceptance of screw cap is on the rise. And for good reason. Screw caps are easy to open, require no special tools and protect the wine from oxygen. New Zealand and Aussie white wines are now 80% and 50% under Stelvin cap – regardless of quality or price. For wines that are to be consumed within the first three years of life, I say screw’em. Yet, I am not as cavalier (GO CAVs) when it comes to red wine closures. For some reason, I personally like my red wines sealed by a cork. Whether for long-term aging or early drinking, I feel that reds are sexier under cork. Interesting since there is nothing sexy about a TCA infected “corked” wine.