[Tyson Stelzer] reports on the findings of the screw-cap closure for bottled wines, with a particular emphasis on red wines, concluding that this closure is superior to any other in current production.

Don't be alarmed! This is not an offensive piece of writing, but merely a glimpse into the world of screw cap wine enclosures! The cork versus screw-cap debate has never been greater and as the wine market evolves and becomes more sophisticated and competitive, there is a determined focus to present wine in the best possible condition. We all love that familiar sound of the cork 'popping' out of the bottle but none of us enjoy that malodorous musty and dull smell, known as cork taint that can overflow out of 1 in every 10 bottles! Cork taint is caused by tricholoroanisole (TCA), a compound formed when chlorine used for bleaching reacts with mould already growing in the cork. Humans are incredibly sensitive to the compound and can detect it even at weak dilutions of six parts per trillion. TCA can flourish in several areas of a bottling facility, such as drains and barrels, but corks pose the biggest problem.

Tyson Stelzer is an independent Australian wine writer and author of the book Screwed for Good? The Case for Screw Caps on Red Wines. He reports on the findings of the screw-cap closure for bottled wines, with a particular emphasis on red wines, concluding that this closure is superior to any other in current production. Australia has been conducting trials on screw caps for more than 30 years while New Zealand also boasts impressive histories in the screw cap crusade.

Tyson reports, "Over the past three years Australian rieslings (one of our most ageable white wines) have gone from exclusively cork-sealed to majority screw-capped. In the past months the trend has also gathered significant momentum in the red wine market. Followers of Australian red wines will be well familiar with such respected producers as Cullen, Moss Wood, Howard Park, Henschke, Fox Creek, Hardys, Water Wheel, TarraWarra, Mitchelton, Taylors and Grosset. All now bottle a proportion of their premium red wines under screw cap. The move to screw caps among some of our top super-premium cabernets from the Margaret River region of Western Australia has been a particular highlight of recent months. It appears that a growing line up of US winemakers are also joining the charge."