Screwcap Seals
What is a screwcap seal?
The external part of the cap is made of non-corroding metal, usually an alloy of aluminum. The screwcap liner is made up of expanded polyethylene and tin (to stop oxygen) to provide an inert seal with the wine. The closure is corrosion-resistant.
What are the advantages of a screwcap seal?
A screwcap provides a perfect, inert seal that allows the wine in each bottle to mature naturally and uniformly, developing its true personality. It prevents the wine from being affected by any of the cork-related flaws that result in unpleasant odors and flavors, such as cork taint or premature oxidation. With a screwcap seal, you can be assured that you have a purchased wine that will maintain its integrity.
Only screwcaps ensure greater consistency in quality and character from bottle to bottle, delivering the full-rounded flavors the winemaker intended. Not to mention screwcaps make for easier opening and storing: no tools or accessories are required to open or reseal a bottle; and bottles with screwcaps may be stored upright (unlike corked finished bottles which are stored lying flat).
Isn't cork essential for the wine to age in a bottle?
No. A wine does not need to breathe through a cork to age. In fact, wine does not require oxygen to age. A wine under screwcap ages more steadily and predictably than it would under cork.
Do screwcap seals have risks of their own?
No. The food-grade polymer at the base of the seal is guaranteed not to affect the taste or quality of the wine in any way. And, screwcaps are the only seal proven to prevent cork taint 100% of the time. Furthermore, screwcaps have been used on quality wines for over 30 years.
Do they work better for one type of wine over another?
Screwcaps work equally well for red and white wines, as well as for young and aged wines.