Riesling Goes Screwy

Filed in archive South African Wines on July 26, 2006

More and more wineries are opting for screw caps. It is probably just the beginning. You may want to start saving your corks as they may some day become collectibles!

From The Winery goes out to bat for screwcaps:

Michael Brajkovich, now chairman of the initiative, scientifically researched the cork/screwcap issue for his landmark Master of Wine thesis. Much research has also been carried-out by the Australian Wine Research Institute to determine that screwcaps are a better alternative to natural cork in preserving wine quality.

Dale says that, after extensive trials in the 70s and 80s, winemakers in Australia and New Zealand started using screwcaps for their top premium wines from 2000 and, and once they gained consumer acceptance, have gradually moved these closures down the pyramind of their wine ranges.

The initiative that really set the momentum going was when the top Riesling producers of Clare Valley in South Australia, led by Jeffrey Grosset, teamed up, in the 2000 vintages, deciding to collectively bottle their finest wines in screwcap instead of cork.

Dale says the experiment was a total success and no-one has looked back since. "It is now almost impossible today to buy a premium Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc from Australia or New Zealand that is not under screwcap, and the usage of screwcaps is mounting rapidly across all varieties, red and white."