FRENCH WINEMAKERS CONSIDER SCREWCAPS

Several of France's top winemakers are considering screw caps for their wines, according to an article in The Telegraph. The article cites a wine expert that claims two of the world's top names, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy and Bordeaux's Chateau Margaux, are looking into screw caps.

Romanée-Conti would not comment on the issue, but the director general of Chateau Margaux confirmed the domaine was trying out screw caps although it was too early to say if they would use them.

Burgundy's Jean-Claude Boisset is already using screw caps on top wines, including a Chambertin grand cru 2005 that sells for almost £100 a bottle.

"We're not staying that corks are bad, it's just that screw tops are better," said Gregory Patriat, in charge of bottling at Boisset, to The Telegraph.

Plastic corks are also a possibility, but growers say they can only be used on bottles not meant to age past three years.

The number of wines using screw tops has grown from 300 million in 2003 to 2.5 billion in 2008. Famed wine critic Robert Parker also predicts that wines with corks will be in the minority by 2015.

Wine & Spirits Daily