I had not really given much thought to wine bottle capsules until I read the feature article in the March issue of Wines&Vines magazine on capsules. "Capsules in Transition" gets down to the nuts and bolts and its importance in the marketing scheme. Wine Business Monthly does a capsule survey every two years. The last one was in 2006, so we are due for one this year. It will be interesting to see the change in trends when the survey is released. As pointed out in the Wines&Vines article the cost factor will have a determining influence.
All the wine press has focussed its attention on the pros and cons of cork versus screw-caps and it seems capsular comments have been few. Screw-caps had long been considered by many wine drinkers as closures for inexpensive or inferior wines. That is certainly not the case today. A press release in February 2007 boldly announced that Boisset would be launching both a Grand Cru and a Premier Crus under screw-cap.
But capsules? I just have not been paying too much attention. OK, a funky label might get my attention when I am shopping for wine. But I have never turned away from a wine because of its capsule or for that matter bought one because the capsule gave a "buy me" message. I have to admit that lead capsules always appealed to me. They seemed somehow to denote and give a certain grandeur to a bottle of wine. So I went and paid a visit to my humble little wine cellar to see just what kind of capsules I have been collecting. Ah, there is one with a lead capsule! It turned out to be a 1976 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. Not a great vintage but a good one. It needs to be consumed now! Had I ignored this noble wine because of a secret admiration for lead capsules? Fond dreams and memories of great wines are part of the charm of drinking wine. Changes in capsule styles should never interfere with those special moments in the presence of a gift as great as a good bottle of wine. Sure would like to receive some capsular comments on this topic.
It has been an embarrassing couple of weeks without any posts. My computer was crushed like a grape or rather my hard drive crashed. I had to open a lot of bottles of wine to cope and they included wines with screw-cap closures. My journey to accepting screw-caps began about 4 years ago while attending a lecture at a Society of Wine Educators conference in California. The sound of a cork popped out of a bottle has always appealed to me. Over the years I have learned to listen to and enjoy different styles of music, so I reasoned why not let the snappy crack of screw-cap be added to my list of pleasant sounds. So lets get with the times folks and accept the fact that screw-caps are here to stay and for good reasons.
After all, how many of us when served a glass of wine, can really tell whether it was poured from a cork stoppered bottle or one closed with a screw-cap?
(GlobalCap closure picture courtesy of Guala Closures North America)
A recent survey by AC Nielson as reported in Wine Business Monthly, found that there was a significant increase in acceptance and usage of screw-cap closures in North America. Britain's leading wine merchant, Berry Brothers have just switched to Stelvin closures for its house French reds and white.
But perhaps more telling and certainly a bold move, was the recent announcement by Maison Jean-Claude Boisset to launch their 2005 vintage Chambertin Grand Cru and their Beaune Premier Cru Les Bressandes with the screw-cap closure. Boisset will be using the Stelvin Lux+, the latest generation of screw-caps, which ensures a slight oxygenation of the wine through their high-performance seals. Another argument lost by traditionalists who claim only cork will allow this micro-oxygenation. This is a bold and innovative move in the Cote d'Or, as it will be the first time a grand cru wine will be closed with a screwcap.
"This pioneering spirit has always been a strong family trait," explains Jean-Charles Boisset. "We respect tradition, but at the same time, we try to encourage people to consider a new approach if the means are there to improve upon a wine's quality." Boisset has been a front runner in Burgundy for some time. The launch of their French Rabbit (scroll down to my June 5th, 2006 entry) was another example of their leadership on the Burgundian scene. I'm convinced. Screw-caps are in. It will be interesting to see what Maison Boisset will come up with next.
I had not really given much thought to wine bottle capsules until I read the feature article in the March issue of Wines&Vines magazine on capsules. "Capsules in Transition" gets down to the nuts and bolts and its importance in the marketing scheme. Wine Business Monthly does a capsule survey every two years. The last one was in 2006, so we are due for one this year. It will be interesting to see the change in trends when the survey is released. As pointed out in the Wines&Vines article the cost factor will have a determining influence.
But capsules? I just have not been paying too much attention. OK, a funky label might get my attention when I am shopping for wine. But I have never turned away from a wine because of its capsule or for that matter bought one because the capsule gave a "buy me" message. I have to admit that lead capsules always appealed to me. They seemed somehow to denote and give a certain grandeur to a bottle of wine. So I went and paid a visit to my humble little wine cellar to see just what kind of capsules I have been collecting. Ah, there is one with a lead capsule! It turned out to be a 1976 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. Not a great vintage but a good one. It needs to be consumed now! Had I ignored this noble wine because of a secret admiration for lead capsules? Fond dreams and memories of great wines are part of the charm of drinking wine. Changes in capsule styles should never interfere with those special moments in the presence of a gift as great as a good bottle of wine. Sure would like to receive some capsular comments on this topic.
