Screwcaps Are Here to Stay

A decade from now recreating that sound may only be an answer to a trivia question about pre-21st century wine stoppers.

If you think the end of the cork is far fetched consider some of the following statements made this year.

In May, Wine magazine reported that Chablis producer Michael Laroche will offer his top wines in screwcap, having had enough of his wines tainted by cork closures. His Grand Cru Chablis, which starts at $50, will be bottled in screwcaps for any merchants who request it.

On May 22, the San Francisco Chronicle said the number of screwcap closures sold to West Coast wineries by Pechiney Cork & Seal, a leading French manufacturer, totalled one million in 2002 and is already running at five million in 2003.

Despite the growing numbers of small upscale producers who have capped their premium bottles in metal, many of the world's largest producers have yet to commit to the Stelvin closure, preferring to let the competition go first.

That said, American wine giant Gallo has just released a portion of its Turning Leaf range in Stelvin for Tesco, a leading U.K. supermarket, and Spain's biggest wine name Miguel Torres has done the same thing with his legendary summer sipper Vina Esmeralda.

Tesco already sells more than 60 screwcapped wines, and Ann Marie Bostock, head of wine for Tesco, has said: "This is the beginning of the end for traditional corks -- even for the best-quality wines. By the end of the decade, traditional cork closures will be seen as period pieces."

In just three years Australian rieslings have gone from exclusively cork-sealed to majority screwcapped. Ditto that for New Zealand sauvignon blancs and the trend is gathering significant momentum in the red wine market.

Hip, super-premium cabernets from the Margaret River region of Western Australia are joining the rush to screwcap from cork.

Ultimately consumer response will determine the success or failure of this innovative closure, but it's clearer than ever that the screwcap is not going away.

Today we look at six wines in the B.C. market all of which bear a screwcap. My suggestion is you pick one up for the weekend and give it a try. Grab the bottle and twist the cap, the rest is like riding a bike.

We begin in New Zealand's Marlborough district, the home of screwcap wines, with Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2001. Expect a clean intense, herbal, gooseberry and mineral scented white. It enters round but finishes with a blast of lime juice. Quite a tart aftertaste streaked with gooseberry and bell pepper flavours. It is a perfect match for rich seafood dishes.

The first of a trio of Down Under rieslings is a snappy Lindemans Bin 75 Riesling 2002 expected to arrive in B.C stores this month. Look for a peachy floral mineral nose with streaks of green apple skin. On the palate the flavours are a mix of lime, green apple and mineral with medium weight and length. The finish is soft and round, making this a very appealing patio sipper.

The Wolf Blass Riesling Gold Label 2002 is a 65/35 blend of fruit from cool-climate Clare and Eden Valleys. It has quite a big lime and passion fruit nose that almost jumps out of the glass with plenty of mineral/lime/grapefruit flavours in the finish. Try this with fresh Dungeness crab meat or even lobster. Serious, fresh and stylish.

A twist of the bright yellow cap reveals a lovely floral, ripe apple fruit nose with streaks of tangy apricot in the Wynns Riesling Coonawarra Estate 2002. Similar stylish fruit in the mouth reveals mineral, lime, apple and nectarine fruit flavours. Just a touch of residual sugar rounds out the finish, making this a very attractive wine in the mouth. A super wine to buy by the case and drink all summer. Look for this at private wine shops, although after Aug. 1 it will appear in government stores, too.

The St. Hallet Semillon --

Sauvignon Blanc 2002 is much like the '01, with big, fresh, grassy, mineral, grapefruit aromas. On the palate it has a sweet melon fruit entry and a tart grapefruit finish. The texture reveals fine richness with wonderful mid-palate sweetness before the acidity kicks in -- think yin and yang. Fresh, fun and easy sipping.

The Ca' del Solo Big House Red 2000 is a wacky blend of syrah, cabernet franc, carignane, sangiovese, barbera, petite sirah, petit verdot, dolcetto, and grenache. Here the fruit is intense with dusty floral, raspberry nose, bright acidity in the mouth and plenty of plummy black cherry and raspberry fruit flavours. It finishes long, smooth and delicious and it will remain so for years thanks to its screw-cap closure.

WEEKEND WINE TASTING:
Screwcap Wines

Wine: Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $17.95
UPC: 9419031000667
Score: 14/20
Comments: Clean, intense, leafy, herbal, gooseberry/ mineral fruit.

Wine: Lindemans Bin 75 Riesling 2002, South Eastern Australia
Price: $10.95
UPC: 012354087804
Score: 13.5/20
Comments: A mix of lime, green apple and mineral.

Wine: Wolf Blass Riesling Gold Label 2002, South Australia
Price: $19.99
UPC: 087000310421
Score: 15.5/20
Comments: Crisp mineral/lime/ grapefruit flavours.

Wine: Wynns Riesling Coonawarra Estate 2002, Coonawarra, S. Australia
Price: $14.95 *
UPC: 012354052109
Score: 16/20
Comments: Mineral, lime, apple and nectarine fruit flavours.

Wine: St. Hallet Semillon - Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Barossa Valley, Australia
Price: $19.95
UPC: 9316920000268
Score: 14.5/20
Comments: Sweet melon and tart grapefruit.

Wine: Ca' del Solo Big House Red 2000, California
Price: $19.95
UPC: 769434201260
Score: 15/20
Comments: Delicious, plummy black cherry and raspberry fruit.

*Private wine shops only