Wary of screw cap wine? Suspicious of Cabernet in a juice box? Well, get over it! Innovative packaging of quality wine is here to stay because it works better than traditional methods. And, contrary to just about every other aspect of the industry, with its confusing rules, its AVAs, DOCs and IGTs, screw caps and tetra paks are just plain easy. So this July, forget the corkscrew, throw some littleneck clams on the grill and enjoy the great outdoors with some of our favorite box and screw cap wines.
Granted, you do lose a little drama. The crack of a screw cap will never move a crowd like the pop of a cork. Let's face it, corks do add a lot to the ritual and romance that we all associate with enjoying wine. Unfortunately, they also add TCA contamination 15% of the time. An unavoidable byproduct of processing natural cork, TCA creates aromas of moldy cardboard, wet dog, or a subtle "off" taste that is hard to pin down. When customers return wine, TCA contamination is a big reason why.
Another reason is oxidation. To combat TCA, vintners turned to synthetic corks, and indeed, they eliminate the problem while maintaining the romance. Quibblers argue that plastic corks leave an aftertaste and are difficult to remove, but the real problem is premature oxidation. A little air flow is necessary for wine to "evolve;" too much flow, and the wine spoils or becomes oxidized. The seal of plastic corks occasionally breaks down too quickly, resulting in wine that tastes cooked or madirized.
Enter screw caps. Once limited to the $3.99 and under crowd, these updated closures are gaining popularity among mid-range, and even some high-end wines. Though the overwhelming majority of bottles still come with natural cork, the main reason sited is consumer readiness, not effectiveness. Stevlin screw caps, the industry standard, allow for the most consistent air flow, best protection against oxidation, and they eliminate TCA taint. And the convenience of a twist off cannot be beat--except by the lighter and unbreakable tetra pak design. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; even we aren't ready for Barolo in a Box. Bandit's California Pinot Grigio? Absolutely. 2002 Mersault? Not just yet.
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