(Inforum) - Have you ever hosted a dinner party where you wanted to open a bottle of wine that has a cork enclosure? When doing this with just your significant other, who has become used to your limitations, it works perfectly every time. But at a party where you are trying to impress your guests with your dexterity and nimble fingers, Murphy’s law often jumps at the opportunity to make you humble.

This has happened to me a couple of times in my wine-drinking life, and with older, arthritic fingers, I fear Murphy’s law will come into play more often. Consequently, I am always delighted to see a quality, moderately priced wine with something other than a cork closure, and many are appearing with greater frequency.

First some basic facts based on where you live: in England, screw caps and corks are viewed with equal favor. However, American wine consumers have a preference for cork, with only 21 percent saying they like screw-cap wines over cork enclosures.

America’s population is now somewhere between 13.5 and 15 percent over the age of 60, and rising quickly. I predict the percentage of screw-cap closures on wine bottles will increase proportionately with the aging of America.

Wine bottle closure doesn’t stop with just a cork or screw cap: enter the artificial cork, the Zork and the crown cap. All have their pros and cons.

Cork has to be harvested from cork oaks every 10 or so years, and done so without killing the trees. It is labor intensive, but does an excellent job of creating a tight seal, allowing a small amount of air to interact with the wine, which aids in the aging process. Corks can pick up “cork taint,” giving the wine a moldy aroma of wet cardboard.

The screw cap is recyclable aluminum, and is widely popular in Australia and New Zealand. It keeps out more air than corks, helping to preserve the aromas and flavors of the wine. It is also a lot easier for arthritic hands to open. The only con is the small risk of sulfides imparting off aromas.

Synthetic corks are either made from sugar cane (Nomacorc) or petroleum-based plastic. It does everything a natural cork does, without the taint possibility.

The crown cap: think opening a bottle of beer with a bottle opener. Effective and cheap, but totally destroys any tradition or wine-drinking ambience. It is temporarily used in making Champagne-type sparkling wines during the “riddling” process, before the traditional Champagne cork is inserted. I doubt this closure will ever make a show in the retail market.

Finally, the Zork – first released in Australia, where it is popular – is a stopper-type plug that gives the traditional cork “pop” sound with zero risk of cork taint.