Premium wines move to more innovative screw cap closures

Related tags Wine Bottle

If corks continue to bob out of the wine aisle in the face of fierce competition from screwtop bottle closures, it is at least, in part, because of recent innovation and differentiation in metal closure technology – from smoother finishes to tamper evidence.

Alcan's former Stelvin business, bought last year by Amcor, is among those reaping the benefits of this growth. Its smooth-sided Lux variant, with no external thread, is key to the move upmarket. "More premium wines are moving to screw caps," said marketing and innovation manager Karen Quirchove.

As well as applying different print techniques, Amcor can emboss the top of the wine cap. "We're also trying to impress on customers the fact that we can do much more with the capsules, such as adding a tactile finish," she said.

The company now has another version of its closure designed for lightly sparkling wines, and able to withstand up to six bar of pressure.

Last year, Guala Closures introduced a tamper evidence system involving a red plastic ring inside the lower lip of the capsule. "It's now being used by a New Zealand winery and international brand," said group innovation manager David Thomson. "It's a new concept for wine, but retailers are very keen on tamper evidence in general."