Photo by Jason Millstein / Illume Photography Peter Kasperski

“Cork dork” has long been an affectionate term used by those who drink wine for a living, but as the wine industry changes its practices, the nickname “cork dork” is slowly giving way to a new one: the “madcap screw caps,” a group of not-so-crazy wine wonks who believe that screw caps are superior to corks.

For people who are neither cork dorks nor madcap screw caps, the debate may seem petty, but consider this: The wine industry has become a worldwide behemoth. Here in the U.S., we now sell more wine than beer, and each of the 50 states possesses at least one bonded winery. But for all of our interest in wine, we don’t even make the top 40 when countries are ranked by their annual per capita wine consumption. What confounds most business experts is that the wine industry is the only big business that regularly allows 5 percent of its high-end product to be sold in a flawed state due to faulty cork bottle closures.

While most of the Old World producers from France and Italy continue to turn a blind eye to this problem, the use of screw caps is rapidly approaching a tipping point in many New World areas. Cork finishes on New Zealand bottles are now the exception, not the rule, and Australia seems to be following suit. Even California is de-corking at a noticeable rate. And a recent visit to a local wine bar was particularly illuminating. As the first dozen orders came in, the barkeeps holstered their wine keys because all the bottles requested came topped with screw caps.

Although screw cap zealots think bottling with cork should be a felony, there are notable downsides to the screw cap phenomenon. Traditionalists bemoan the loss of ceremony that comes with cork closures. And there’s certainly something to be said for the pomp and circumstance of the bottle-opening ritual, which adds to the breathtaking anticipation of that first glorious sip.

Additionally, ageing wines becomes an entirely different proposition. Laying down bottles in the cellar seems to favor the use of cork, as the wine happens to evolve at a quicker rate. But screw caps can be a bonus when it comes to wines appreciated for their freshness and vitality. They keep their youthful glow longer when cork is out of the picture. Add the 5 percent flaw factor of a cork finish (which some insist is closer to 10), and the ageing advantage attributed to cork becomes moot.

Those of us who drink wine for a living often turn to the words of wise men for guidance and, as Sir Paul McCartney says, “live and let live.” But when it comes to messing up my wine enjoyment with the increasing failure of cork closures, I’ll gladly trade that wine key collection for more fine wine and less corked dreck.