Don’t Judge A Wine By Its Screw Cap

Screw Caps: Not a New Idea

While screw capped wines might appear to be a modern trend, they were actually introduced in the United States by the E.&J. Gallo Winery during the 1950s and 1960s. Anyone remember Thunderbird beginning in 1957, followed by Ripple, Boone’s Farm, Carlo Rossi, Hearty Burgundy and Chablis Blanc? Granted they were not premium wines, but they sold tens of millions of bottles to thirsty wine consumers.
Dan Rylands patented screw caps in 1889, first used on whiskey bottles and commercially introduced by White Horse Distillers (Scotch) around 1926. They appeared on beer, water, and soft drink bottles in the 1950s and 1960s.

Australia and New Zealand popularized screw caps (often referred to as the Stelvin closure) for their wines in the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Globally, around 35 percent of wine is sealed with a screw cap. It is estimated that over 90 percent of wines in New Zealand and 85 percent in Australia are using screw caps. In Europe, adoption is slower due to tradition, with France at roughly 24 percent; Italy at 22 percent, while Germany is well over 70 percent. In the United States about 45 percent of wines are now sealed with screw caps.

Screw caps are becoming more popular because they offer reliable quality, prevent problems like cork taint and broken corks, are easy to open without a corkscrew, and are especially convenient for wines meant for early consumption. You can store screw cap bottles upright or on their side, even after opening them.

The Stigma Around Screw Caps

Unfortunately, there are still people who view wines with screw caps unfavorably, favoring instead the tradition of storing and uncorking cork-sealed bottles. Multiple international studies have compared wines sealed with screw caps to those finished with traditional corks, and findings indicate that wines under screw cap are not inferior; in many cases, they exhibit superior aroma and flavor profiles.

Many wineries globally are evaluating the use of screw caps for premium and ultra-premium wines to assess their suitability. Nonetheless, certain regions and countries have traditionally imposed restrictions or prohibitions on screw caps, particularly for high-quality or traditional wines.

In restaurants, waiters should present a screw capped bottle and after acceptance by the host, the screw cap is removed and placed in the waiter’s pocket. The screw cap is not presented to the guest.

Screw cap does not mean bad wine; likewise, a cork does not mean good wine either.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including “101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey” and “Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple” (available on Amazon.com). He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. He can be reached at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com.