The Auswine Forum

Is there a proper way to store bottles under a stelvin closure ? Should they be laid down or can they be stored up right.

Looking forward to some advice...[/b]

Everything I've seen indicates bottles sealed with screwcaps don't need to be stored lying on their side, you can store them upright or any way that is convenient.

I generally store my straight-sided bottles in the bins on their side, the slope-shouldered bottles are usually in boxes either upright or not depending on where they fit in the cellar. I've not noiticed any leaking screwcaps as yet and I have quite a few now.

One could speculate that storing a stelvin wine on its side may even allow the acid in the wine to wear away the polymer seal inside the cap, but that would be little more than rambling internet pseudo-knowledge.

This website is worth a visit:
http://www.screwcap.co.nz

I believe laying stelvins on their side is still the way to go. The reason being the slightest knock in the cap near the seal can cause leaking. If the bottle is on its side leaking will be noticeable ranging from a sticky mess to some extra mould growing on the capsule in the case of a very slight failure. They still drink well if caught early rather than the disappointment finding the wine oxidized years down the track.
How many others have this problem with stelvins in transport?

Mark

I'm a big drinker of screw cap wines, I store mine standing up so the wine is only in contact with the glass and have never had a single bottle open in anything other than pristine condition, even those caps with dings in them.

There are a range of qualities for ROTE closures, I understand the best being those with thicker wads and tin layering. I'd trhink that the better wines under ROTE would only use the best.

From my viewpoint I think that the horror stories about ROTE closures are mor urban myth than solid fact and probably spread by cork supporters.

Given the high incidence of cork taint, about 10%+ currently in my experience the use of ROTE is a no brainer. Every release there appears to be another high end wine going ROTE or at least giving the option. Roll on ROTE I say!

the horror stories about ROTE closures are mor urban myth than solid fact and probably spread by cork supporter

Not so, I am a devoted ROTE supporter. I have had trouble with ROTE from a well known riesling maker from the Clare. The problem seemed to be that the ROTE was not applied properly in a particular vintage ie. not enough pressure. Result: many leaking seals, some heavily so. Also noticed large bottle variation from other vintages from this maker.

Hi all,

Good discussion.

I cellar my screw-capped bottles horizontally since this is the way my cellar is set up. But it does also have the advantage of highlighting leaky bottles, as a guest rightly pointed out above. Not that I've had any in my cellar yet.

Producers and bottlers are doing a better job these days and there appear to be fewer capping faults appearing in the market. I'm also seeing less damage to the caps due to impact, partly a result of the BVS (redraw) seal replacing the older BVP (not redrawn) and the greater care taken by producers and shippers. But if you get a leaker, do return it.

Broughy, if I'm thinking of the same Clare riesling producer you refer to, they were happy to advise customers of the problem and replace affected bottles. I hope you were able to get replacements. The problem that I'm thinking of was to do with the top surface of the glass bottles being out of specification. Could be a different case, too?

There is no risk to the liner or the seal from contact with wine over long periods. We still have bottles from the late 1970s sealed with a seal containing the same liner used today, and there has been no evidence of deterioration.

Cheers,
Tyson.

I store mine upright

Tom

I store mine mainly horizontal because of the bulk of my existing storage as per the above. Sometimes, when the drink now rack is full vertical storage is a bonus with screwcaps. I occasionally buy wines as gifts and these days I am very reluctant to but buy wines under cork for this express purpose. The thought of a giving a potentially corked wine to someone seriously weighs on my choice of purchase. The sooner the majority of middle to top end of wines (Aus) moves to this type of closure the better.

Guest (PeterO) wrote:... and these days I am very reluctant to but buy wines under cork for this express purpose. ... The sooner the majority of middle to top end of wines (Aus) moves to this type of closure the better.

I would prefer to buy nothing but screwcapped wines from now on. And if some magic fairy would appear who could transform the all the 90s vintages Penfolds, Wynns, Tyrrells, Mount Mary & Wendouree wines in my cellar to screwcaps, I'd be very happy indeed.

A message I'm conveying to every winery I contact about a TCA-ruined wine, I should add.

cheers,
Graeme

GraemeG wrote:

Guest (PeterO) wrote:... and these days I am very reluctant to but buy wines under cork for this express purpose. ... The sooner the majority of middle to top end of wines (Aus) moves to this type of closure the better.

I would prefer to buy nothing but screwcapped wines from now on. And if some magic fairy would appear who could transform the all the 90s vintages Penfolds, Wynns, Tyrrells, Mount Mary & Wendouree wines in my cellar to screwcaps, I'd be very happy indeed.

A message I'm conveying to every winery I contact about a TCA-ruined wine, I should add.

cheers,
Graeme

Hi Graeme,

I wonder if Penfolds will ever offer "rescrewing" clinics?! Might be the magic fairy you're waiting for?!

Tyson.

Screwcapa are the go, never had a faulty bottle compared to a squilllion cork tainted bottles over the past decade, a very disappointing result when you've cellared them for years only to be confronted with TCA.

All power to the screwcap!

What would it actually involve to get a quality aged wine transferred to a screwcap?

I'm guessing a different bottle would be needed, and some method of transferring the wine in an O2-free environment... but then I don't know jack.