The “pop” of a cork is one of the more recognizable sounds we encounter—certainly as familiar as a Harley-Davidson’s motor or bowling pins flying into one another.
You can’t really say the same thing for the “crackle” of a screw cap being twisted. It’s familiar, but it wouldn’t be identified by 100 percent of the populace.
Yet it’s a sound being heard more and more often at wine bars and restaurants, and it’s at the heart of today’s Wine FAQ…
QUESTION: I’m seeing more and more bottles of wine with screw caps. Should I be concerned about the quality of the wine?
ANSWER: Far from it. Many wineries that have embraced screw caps use a closure known as Stelvin, which is quickly replacing traditional corks in more and more bottlings.
The reason: It provides a reliable seal, something that cork can’t do as consistently. A wine bottle sealed with a Stelvin closure can never be “corked.”
Here’s how the Stelvin capsule is described on the website of the company that makes it, Amcor: “The Stelvin concept, at the origin of the aluminium screw cap for wine, preserves the bouquet and flavors of the wine, which have been expertly developed by the winemaker. The bottle opens and recloses easily so that the bottle can be opened without the need for an opening tool and can be re-closed for later consumption.”
Here at Vinesse, we’ve embraced the concept from the very beginning, even when some wine critics were decrying the non-traditional bottle-sealing method. The reason? All we’ve ever cared about is delivering a quality product to wine drinkers—regardless of how that product was sealed—because all that ultimately matters is how the wine tastes in your glass.
Do you care whether a wine is sealed with a cork or a screw cap? Do you want to hear that distinctive pop, or are you ultimately more concerned about wine quality? Please share your thoughts in the Comments box below.
