Don’t Judge a Wine by Its Screw Cap

Today, screw caps are also used on upper-tier wines, even though consumers may not be aware that it can be seen as a mark of quality. Peter de Kievith/shutterstock

Dear Dan: A good friend hosted me for a birthday dinner, and the elegant table was set with crystal stemware—but the wine he served was sealed with a screw cap. Should I be offended?—Wine Novice

Dear Wine Novice: Have you been living in Siberia for the last 50 years? Around 1970, screw caps were associated with cheap wines, derelicts, brown bags, and gutters. But soon, wineries around the world began hearing about the real reason screw caps made a lot of sense.