Screwed: A New Direction In Wine Packaging.

There’s a new trend in wine that has nothing to do with the grapes, but it may have the biggest effect on consumer experience in years. The cork — used to plug up bottles of wine for almost 2,000 years – may be on it’s way out, and the ramifications could go far beyond just the taste of your next glass of Pinot.

Yes, the cork…we collect them, put them in jars, frame them behind glass, or turn them into cutting boards. Others simply throw them away after a quick smell. Whatever we do with them, everybody associates a cork with wine — it is an inseparable bond. A cork is more than a stopper: it is a guardian, a master of ceremonies, a memento. But despite the cork’s esteemed reputation, it’s beginning to be displaced by a new closure…and a new experience.

Aluminum screwcaps, and other new closures, are beginning to gain ground in the wine industry. The reason? Cork, which comes from a tree grown in the Mediterranean, is vulnerable to mold that can cause a bottle of wine to smell musty and taste of wet cardboard — ‘cork taint’. Most experts believe that around 2-5% of all wine is tainted – some California winemakers put that estimate as high as 20%! That can mean a lot of wasted time and revenue, and it can put a bad taste in consumers’ mouthes.

The explosion in wine’s popularity since the 90s greatly increased demand for cork, a difficult crop to grow, increasing its price and scarcity, and in many cases, decreasing quality control. This combined with the risk of cork taint prompted many winemakers to begin seeking a new closure method, and the screwcap is it.

Screwcaps block more oxygen than cork and can offer more controlled aging. Cork on the other hand is natural, and its cell structure varies, thus it is less consistent when it comes to protection against oxygen. Screwcaps also cost less: corks can range from 13-75 cents each depending on quality, while screwcaps only cost 10-18 cents each. Most importantly, screwcaps have no potential for mold. Many vintners and wine enthusiasts are starting to agree that screwcaps equal better wine and better business. In fact, demand for natural cork was down 20% between 2000 and 2005. In New Zealand, 90% of all domestic wine is now sealed with screwcaps. Even high-end vineyards in the States are beginning to switch over.

Companies like Alcan Packaging are finding ways to dress up the screwcap, which many believe is now the best way to seal a bottle of wine. Even $100+ bottles are sporting the new hats.

Smoking Loon, widely-known for its synthetic orange Neocork, is a division of Don Sebastiani & Sons. The company uses modern closures for all of its products, including screwcaps and the unique Zork.

Cork’s Future

Despite the screwcap’s new following, cork’s future may still be bright. Quality has improved over the last 10 years as growers have begun to feel the pressure. Many conservationists also support cork: without cork demand, millions of acres of land would no longer be needed and would become susceptible to threats like fire and overgrazing, which is why the World Wildlife Fund launched “Choose Cork” in 2004. Cork is sustainable, and productive cork trees are never cut down and are only harvested every 10 years. Even the FSC has gotten involved — the first FSC-certified corks hit the States this past fall. The cork industry also provides 100,000 jobs, many of which would be lost if screwcaps take over.

Perhaps the biggest argument for cork has nothing to do with jobs or the environment, but rather its value as a design element. Many would agree that much of the experience of drinking wine is in the ritual of serving it — slicing away the capsule, the twist of a corkscrew, that familiar ‘Pop’ sound as we struggle to pull away the last remaining barrier between ourselves and liquid bliss — and finally, the aristocratic inspection of a uniquely emblazoned plug. The cork, often overlooked and unappreciated, is a vital component to the celebration of wine.

What would become of the wine experience without the cork? Whether it’s a party at your favorite bistro or a romantic meal at home, the screwcap just doesn’t seem to bring out the drama. “In terms of the theater of table-side service,” says Andrew Bell, president of the American Sommelier Association, “…having a wine person from that establishment present the bottle and then unscrew the cap takes away from the experience.” Still not buying the significance of cork? In a 2004 study, 62% of Americans surveyed said “cheap” was the first word that came to mind when they thought of a screwtop wine bottle.

First Impressions: Once the capsule is removed from a traditional bottle of wine, the cork still needs to be pulled. With a screwcap, what you see is what you get — twist and enjoy.

Corks, each with their own branded seals, signatures, and ornaments, are priceless pieces of design ephemera. They express qualities that simply can’t be found in other closures — a sense of history and tradition, of handcraft, and distinction. Each is a little trophy in honor of the ‘good life’. Corks are an organic counterpart to the juice found within; they are timekeepers, and a fragile reminder of all the effort that went into what’s contained inside. As they stain red and fragment to pieces, corks remind us that while our consumption of the wine may have been brief, the process that brings it to our mouthes is long and storied.

It is yet to be seen whether or not screwcaps and other stoppers like the Zork can achieve what the cork has. And while most would agree that screwcaps are a technical improvement to the preservation of wine, I doubt they will ever contribute to the attraction of wine as the cork has. As designers, we must ask ourselves where product value is most important — in the quality of the product itself, or in the perception and enjoyment of the product in the consumer’s mind? Screwcaps may elevate the quality of the wine, but they may also detract from the reasons for drinking it in the first place.

Extras

Great Flickr photoset of cork graphics
Some award-winning designs featuring screwcaps
Putting A Cap On Wine Corks – TIME
A Corking Dilemma – Forbes

Watch Vive Le Screwcap

An informative, scientific, and comedic attempt to explain the virtues of the screwcap. By Bonny Doon Vineyard.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSlmjxQkJRE[/youtube]

December 6th, 2007 » Posted by Jim Hargreaves » Permalink

Entry Filed under: Archived Posts