This picture represents the world closures market as it currently stands (actually, data are from December 2010). This is for standard 750 ml glass bottles plus 1 litre and 1.5 litre sizes, excluding small serves (such as 187 ml).
The actual figures are:
Total market 18 billion
- Screwcap 2.85 billion
- Synthetic cork 3.65 billion
- Technical cork 7.8 billion (of which microagglomerates count for just under 20%)
- Natural cork 3.7 billion
I can’t believe that some labels are still using synthetic corks!!! They turn wine into vinegar quicker than you can say “Oxygen Leakage”. For fruit driven wine that I intend to drink with-in a few months, or even up to a couple of years, I accept that screw caps do the job. Wine that one would keep for longer would generally come from higher up the price range and then I find that natural cork is still the norm.
Michael, think you are being unfair on synthetics – the new generation ones, such as nomacorc, have quite good OTR characteristics and for some wine styles are actually the optimum closure if the wine is to be consumed early in its life. The old injection moulded plastic plugs are dying out.
And with screwcaps, it’s all about the liners – two are commonly used, and each has different OTR properties.
Wow – I had no idea that technical cork was that dominant – approaching half the market. Incredible!
Are vino-lok closures not included or is the percentage too small to register?
Where’s the Vino Lok!
Hi Jamie, I see that you have not mentioned or pictured Vino-lok closures. Is that because it is not prevalent enough ?
I have seen it in a few German and Austrian wines.
Hi Jamie, that’s fab. What’s your data source(s)?