What is the metal foil on top of wine bottles made out of?
Aluminum, like most foil.
Sadly, after centuries of using a lead foil for the “capsule”, fears of lead poisoning and regulations prohibiting it have forced vintners to substitute other metal foils.
Lead served an important purpose in that it curbed the growth of molds and was fairly impervious to insects and vermin. This natural chemical barrier was highly effective against everything but legislation.
I can’t imagine that a lifetime of wine drinking would expose you to more than a few hundred milligrams of lead.
another question then. if i don’t remove the foil totaly form the top of a wine bottle before poring the wine, will it change the taste when the wine comes in contact with the foil?
Only if you drink from the bottle, and if you’re doing that, you’re probably not too concerned with such niceties…
Aluminum mostly. Some, but very few, turn of the century vintages were capsed with zinc foil.