Natural corks remain the most popular and frequently used closure; and while synthetic closures and technical corks are the most widely used alternatives, screw caps continue to make healthy inroads, according to the Wine Business Monthly's 2006 Closure Survey.

Usage of screw caps has been boosted by an increasing impression among winemakers that consumers' opinions of the closures are improving. And although natural corks remain the most widely used closure - 82% of the responding wineries use natural cork for at least part of their 750 ml bottles - alternatives are being used more for low- and mid-priced wines, and are now even being considered for use with wines at price points of US$25 and above.

This is the first year WBM asked about oxygen transmission through the closure after the bottling process. The importance of this phenomenon has been a much-debated aspect of closure performance, but with little independent research yet available, the jury appears to be divided as to the need for, and correct amount of, oxygen transmission. More than half of the respondents thought that some oxygen transmission through the closure was important, while slightly more than a quarter of the respondents held the contrary view.

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