The Wine Knows

An article by Howard Goldberg of the New York Times on Decanter.com talks about how savvy wine drinkers are embracing screwcaps, while novices are still unsure about them.

This came from Wine Business Monthly's annual survey on closures.

I don't do any research that could be considered scientific, but I do like to ask winemakers who use alternative closures how they are accepted by the public. In all instances, it's extremely positive.

Last weekend, I ran into Wade Wolfe of Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Wash., and asked him about the wines he has under screwcap. He reported that he's had zero pushback from the public and sales are at least as good as they were when the wines were under natural corks.

Laurent Montalieu, owner/winemaker of Solena Cellars in Oregon's Yamhill County, uses Vino-Lok, the glass closure, and he reports that customers really have embraced it because it protects the wine and is sexy (!).

My understanding is Hogue Cellars, which is putting at least 300,000 cases of reds and whites under screwcap, is having no problems selling out - and these wines definitely are in the mainstream on grocery and liquor store shelves.

Those wineries using screwcaps sure don't seem baffled by them.