Plastic capsules can be obtained in a variety of colors, and they can be custom printed. Plastic capsules are inexpensive, and they provide an attractive, finished look to any bottle of wine. The capsule is simply pushed onto the neck of the bottle. They are available in a greater range of colors and finishes, and they are slightly less expensive. Heat-shrink capsules are placed over the neck of the bottle, and then heat is applied to shrink the plastic material tightly to the bottle.
Large wineries pass the bottles through a heat tunnel to shrink the capsules in place.
Home winemakers use electric heat guns, or they shrink the capsule by dipping the neck of the bottle in boiling water. Although considerable research has been done, no practical way has yet been found to speed up the wine aging process. Wine ages in two different ways, and each type of aging changes the wine in a different way. Bulk aging takes place in large storage containers, and small amounts of air are always present. Bottle aging takes place after the wine is bottled.