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The Wine Industry Is Getting Twisted…

Monday, 28 August 2006

And That Could Be the Best Thing Something amazing happened to me a few weeks ago. And That Could Be the Best Thing Something amazing happened to me a few weeks ago.  I was down at Lockwood Vineyards putting together the finishing touches on the final blends of the Mission Trail Vineyard line of wines.  While I was there, I witnessed something that I have been waiting to see for a long time. I saw the first modern Monterey County wine with a Stelvin closure (screw cap).  Yes, you heard me right, SCREW CAP.   Lockwood, as a market test, chose to bottle their 2004 vintage Sauvignon Blanc with this fancy alternative closure from a mobile bottling line. Yep mobile, the entire bottling line is located enclosed in a tractor trailer.  Lockwood has their own bottling line, but the part of the bottling line that applies the Stelvin closure is a specialized piece of machinery that most wineries do not own, yet.  As I stood there observing the crew working on the mobile bottling wine, I was reminded of a time long ago.  Back in 1989, Robyn and I had the distinct pleasure, and I use the term pleasure loosely, of participating in the bottling of Lockwood’s maiden vintage.  It is fun to be a part of the wine production process.  But honestly, bottling, along with harvesting, is only fun for the first 10 minutes, after that, it is mundane and laborious work.     But anyway, Stelvin closures have been around for a long time.  Perhaps some of your first experiences with wine were with the twist off top (maybe some of you will not admit it).  In the late nineties, the Australian and New Zealand vintners resurrected the famed closure for use in its younger white wines, like Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, with great success.  For some reason, consumers down under do not have a problem purchasing, drinking and enjoying wines with Stelvin closures.  However, in the United States, there has been a stigma associated with wines that have a screw cap.   One high-profile California vintner, PlumpJack, lead the charge into the Stevlin closure trend three years ago with the release of their Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (which was a sellout) at $135 per bottle.  However, it was not without criticism from those who prefer the more traditional cork stopper.  Most California producers are eager to make the move, but not too many want to take the gamble.  They are adopting a wait and see attitude.  Nevertheless, slowly we will start to see more and more vintners making the move to Stelvin closures.  I can’t wait. Most of you probably prefer the traditional closure, but have you taken a look at the pros vs. the cons of the Stelvin closures? Pros: No cork taint (TCA destroys wine’s flavor in 1-3% of all traditional cork-sealed wine). No wrestling with cutting off the capsule, as those little knives in the wine openers can be dangerous after you had some wine. No messing with tricky cork pullers. No bits of cork floating in your wine. No more struggling with getting the cork back in the wine (re-sealing is an ease Stelvin). We might see wine prices go down, as corks can be expensive. The price of cork flooring will come down too (less demand for wine cork stoppers). Cons: No more romantic pop of the cork when it comes out of the bottle. As you can see, it is a no-brainer in my opinion. However, there is still some research that needs to be done as it pertains to aging of wine.  The cork is porous and allows for  slow penetration of air throughout the years, slowly oxidizing the wine which, in turn, softens the tannins.  Conversely, the Stelvin closure is air tight.  However, glass is a porous material and will also allow for oxidization, but not as much I would think.  Whites might have a longer shelf life, as you normally do not drink whites that are more than five years old.  So we will see.  I am sure the industry is hard at work testing this closure. I was at a dinner function the other night, and I sat next to Frank Joyce DDS, owner and winemaker for Chateau Christina.  He makes some very nice hand-crafted, high end wines. I was getting his take on screw cap wines.  We agreed with one another mostly, but he did bring up the aging issue and the romance factor.  Just think, you go to a nice restaurant, and the waiter brings over a bottle and all you hear is the crackle of the tin tabs breaking the seal of your wine.  Yikes! I think Frank has a great point. But what about those folks like you and me that drink wine at home on a regular basis, does that pop matter? Or, for wine-by-the-glass programs at restaurants? Or picnics? So, after reading this, you can’t say that I did not warn you.  The Stelvin closure for wine is back and I for one (and it might actually be just one) am looking forward to it.  So, if you do get the Lockwood Sauvignon Blanc in your wine club selection, do not be alarmed, just enjoy and by all means please give me your feedback, as A Taste of Monterey and Lockwood Vineyard value your opinions regarding this alternative and controversial closure.  Now come on baby, let’s do the twist.

 

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