Winemakers are split on their views of how to seal wines to keep the quality and freshness intact during shipping and storage. If the sealing process is a success, the wine winds up being a smash at the dinner table. If not, the wine is pronounced undrinkable.

Synthetic corks are becoming popular way to seal wines, but some diehards refuse to alter the traditional method of sealing their valuable cargo with cork.

If a cork is easy to remove and the contents are fresh and full-flavored, the buyer doesn’t even notice the cork. But if the cork is dry and brittle and the wine has turned to vinegar, the cork becomes crucially important.
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