Here’s an update of the ongoing cork debate. Or as wine nerds like to call it, battle of the closures. After many New World advocates spent years praising the screw top for its elimination of corking and oxidization problems, the tables have once again turned. Traditionalists can rejoice through the jammy aromas of their ageing Bordeaux, as environmentalists and cork producers make a combined effort to eliminate screw tops and plastic closures.

The bright twisty tops aren’t so good for the trees, the cork supporters say.The Telegraph reports that environmentalists fear corkfarmers cannot make money off cork anymore and will re-plant with non-native trees that will disturb the ecosystem. According to the cork fans, the environmental repercussions will be dire. It is estimated up to three quarters of the Mediterranean’s cork forests could be lost within 10 years if the trend for plastic stoppers and screw tops continues, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Websites have been created to further promote the cause –ilovenaturalcork.co.uk rallies supporters and promotes facts like “not a single tree is felled in the production of cork stoppers.”

Cork currently is hot stuff in the design world, with people creating all sorts of nifty things out of the left over cork from wine stoppers.Toast-shaped cork for your breakfast perhaps?But some are still going against the grain.Watch a video of Ponsot’s synthetic cork closure here. 

Our poll on your favourite closure revealed surprising results. For fine wines over US$65, Asian Palate readers prefer screw tops.