The return of the corkscrew

Is cork making a comeback in Australia? After two decades of aluminium screwcaps reigning supreme as the stopper of choice here, a small but growing number of producers are starting – or returning – to sealing their bottles with plugs of tree bark. Especially their more expensive bottles.

I’m not referring to the bottles Australian winemakers send to export markets like Asia or the US, where cork has always been preferred. I’m talking about a surprising uptick in the use of cork locally – surprising...