The choice of bottle closure is a topic that winemakers the world over debate with regularity. Every time a new bottle closure or packaging method comes out (twist off? Glass? Stainless steel kegs?) the pros and cons are trotted out, and for very good reason. Whether for function, form, or just for marketing purposes, there are many reasons why commercial winemakers (and for that matter, a winery’s marketing department) would choose one over the other. This is too widely ranging of a topic to treat thoroughly here so I’ll just stick to those closures that home winemakers are most likely to have available to them and to be using: Full natural corks, “1 + 1” agglomerated corks, 100% agglomerated corks, and synthetic corks. Before I dive in, let me answer your last question about sanitizing corks. Most closures are packaged pre-sanitized, usually with sulfur dioxide in the sealed bags that come from the manufacturer. No commercial winery I’ve ever known soaks or sanitizes their corks before bottling because they buy closures in the thousands from reputable suppliers with high turnover
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