Like them or hate them, screwcaps are here to stay!
There was a time they were associated with only the cheapest of holiday plonk but no longer. Screwcaps, or Stelvin Closures, as they are officially known are alive and well and sealing some of the very best wines from some of the world's top producers.
Those of you who buy Australian or New Zealand wines on a regular basis will be already aware of this - others may be somewhat shocked when their favourite tipple arrives sealed with a screwcap. But be prepared, they are here to stay, for all the right reasons, and finding their way throughout the entire winemaking world. Even the most traditional 'corkonians' have to acknowledge that they do work and have virtually eliminated the ever prevailing problem of 'corked' wines wherever and whenever they are used.
The following is an extract from the New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative and they have a very good website www.screwcap.co.nz
Why are an increasing number of respected, quality-driven wine producers from New Zealand choosing to challenge tradition and present their wines to you under a screwcap wine seal?
Because, quite simply, we care about our wines. We are committed to bringing our wines to you in the best possible condition. And we know that the only way to do this confidently is to seal each bottle with a screwcap wine seal.
What do Screwcap wine seals do that other closures don't?
Screwcap wine seals eliminate the threat of 'cork taint' and premature oxidation. They allow the wine in each bottle to mature and develop its true character, uniformly and naturally, as intended by the winemaker.
Don't screwcap wine seals bring risks of their own?
In short, no. The inert, food-grade polymer at the base of the seal is guaranteed to have no effect on the taste or quality of the wine - ever. This is why many highly respected wineries around the world store their own precious 'library stock' wines under screwcap wine seals - to ensure that the wines are not at risk of oxidation or taint.
Screwcap closures have been protecting premium beverages for over 30 years, but anxiety about 'marketing issues' has, until now, resulted in very few premium quality wines appearing under screwcap.
We are tired of waiting for the promised "better cork"- its time to make the change.
But aren't screwcaps suited to early drinking wines only?
On the contrary: early drinking wines bottled under screwcap certainly have the advantage of retained freshness and no risk of cork taint spoilage. However, premium wines destined for long term maturation enjoy the added advantage of reduced bottle variation, which might otherwise result from premature oxidation over the years due to the natural variability of (sometimes faulty) cork seals.
But will screwcap seals allow wine to age?
Yes - the ageing of wine in a bottle is a function of the natural chemical characters in the wine and will occur over time - irrespective of the bottle closure. As noted Australian winemaker and author James Halliday says, "Some people have the idea that the development of wine with a Stelvin (screwcap) closure will be artificially arrested. Not so; there is sufficient oxygen in the wine and in the head space to allow that part of development which requires oxygen to take place. And - what is more - much of the development takes place anaerobically (i.e.: without oxygen)."
The advantages of using the screwcap as a wine seal are:
- Total confidence that you will receive wine in premium condition - alive, abounding with flavours and a pleasure to drink.
- No bottle variation - each bottle of a given wine will be just as good as the one before.
- Elimination of cork taint and similar mould flavours that can contaminate wines bottled with other closures.
- Dependable cellaring - the elimination of random, premature wine oxidation (seen as rapid ageing, discoloration, loss of fruit flavours and, ultimately, the destruction of the wine), which can occur when other closure types are used.
- And as a bonus, the package is so user friendly. For instance, you can confidently cellar your wines with the bottles standing up. To open a bottle you simply twist the whole capsule to break the seal, and then unscrew the top (no corkscrews to manipulate, no crumbly corks to extract), and if you don't finish your wine that night, you can happily reseal the bottle for the next day.
Are screwcap wine seals here to stay?
Consider the following question, posed by New Zealand's Bob Campbell, Master of Wine: "I have one question for all of the other winemakers who for the time being continue to use corks. If you know that screwcaps will produce better and more consistent wine than corks, how can you continue to short-change your customers?"
