Jacksonville Wine Supervisor Ken Amendola gives us his take on screwcaps.
When it comes to wine, “to twist or not to twist” is the newest (sort of) question. Most of us in the wine trade have a very passionate view of wine, so the question of the Stelvin closure [note: Stelvin is a registered trademark of the Alcan Group] sparks many opinions both for and against. My thoughts on twist tops are both for and against, not that I’m “fence sitting,” it’s just that most wines are perfect candidates for the twist top. That includes most all wines that are meant to be enjoyed in their youth, about 75% of wines made. From what I’ve experienced, a much lesser percentage of wines using screw tops have a tainted flavor that results from using natural cork. Another result of using twist tops is that the huge explosion of wine production throughout the world has taken a toll on the natural cork industry. There just isn’t enough high quality natural cork to supply the increasing wine production we have seen in the last ten to twenty years. So hopefully we will be left with more quality cork for the other 25% of wines that will benefit from short and long term aging.
That is my “pro” argument, my “against” comes from that part of me where the passion lies. I don’t know for sure how I would feel opening a 20 year old, first growth Bordeaux using a screw top, and since there aren’t any that I know of, I may never know, but my guess is that it would take away from the experience. Will we ever know for sure how a Ch. Lafite or a single vineyard Guigal Cote Rote will taste after 20 or 30 years, having been sealed with a screw cap? We may never know, but I have to believe that some First Growth or Grand Cru producers must be bottling a few cases with a more modern closure just out of curiosity.
I’m definitely a traditionalist. I was the last of my golfing group to use a metal “wood”, my favorite movies are in black and white, I entered the cell phone age kicking and screaming…and I’m still screaming. This screw cap question has a lot to do with perception. Many wine drinkers equate screw caps with inexpensive table wines. Well, that certainly shouldn’t have any bearing on the decision to buy or not buy a wine with a twist off closure. These are quality wines using the best technology available to keep their product fresh. Will these closures keep wine alive long-term? I think that’s going to be up to the wine scientists and a long process of trial and error. For now, twist, pour and be happy….