 |
63 Charles Street, Boston MA 02114 617-742-8571/671-742-2224 fax |
1 March 2026
|
Back to ELetter Home Screw caps on wine? |
Visit our website!
www.beaconhillwine.com
|
Screw
Caps for Wine Bottles Major news within the wine industry concerns the ambitious efforts of 27 New Zealand wine producers to introduce the latest version of Stelvin or Supervin, aluminium-alloy screw-capped bottle closures in place of traditional cork. Some international observers might be surprised that highly reputed names like Lawson's Dry Hills, Giesen Wine Estate and Kumeu River Wines are amongst the participants. However the degree of commitment to using screw caps varies within the group. Some producers, like Lawson's Dry Hills, have resolved to place screw-cap closures on all their 2001 production, whilst others have selected certain countries for experimentation. The move follows the introduction, in the 2000 vintage, of similar closures by 15 Australian producers who limited its use to the Riesling varietal. American wine and food expert, Chef Piero Biondi, asked on his US nationwide Cable Radio Network show for his reaction, pooh-poohed the potential. 'You cannot tell me that at that beautiful candlelit supper someone is going to get out the screw-cap, people are just not going to do it. Come on, consumers are going to take a lot of convincing about this one.' Several years of problems with TCA, best explained as a cork infection which imparts an unpleasant taste to wine, have seen wineries undertaking various experiments. A number of Napa and Sonoma wineries in California are alleged to be suing a major French cork producer, after purchasing millions of artificial corks which have reportedly resulted in badly tainted wines. Yet the South African wine Kumala has achieved its widespread international success with artificial corks, though it was reported to have changed brands on one occasion. Also Saint Francis from Sonoma, a pioneer of artificial corks, has gathered a string of plaudits and awards for its wines during the last couple of years. Perhaps most consumers still remember the cheap, ill-fitting screw caps of a generation ago which were so leaky that the wines concerned had to be pasteurised to prevent oxidation. The subsequent results could be politely described as being of limited quality. The new generation of screw caps claims to be air-tight and besides, many producers are protecting the surface of the wine with a whiff of nitrogen. Also we mustn't forget that some artificial corks have found great favor with wineries, both humble and great. Supreme Corq and Nomacorc are two names which have found a popular following - but even they do not please everyone. Be certain there are a lot of laboratories burning midnight oil in the rush, (or rather slow painful haul), to find the answer. If only we could spy on them Excerpt from Wine on the Web |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sign-Up
A Friend For Our Email Newsletter
| |
I'd like to unsubscribe please You must be 21 Years of age |
|
site
design by
Xpress Yourself Design Services |