BUT finally there has emerged a study which at least goes some way to supporting the main concern I have with screw caps: that I always feel they are much more likely to be damaged in handling and transit than with corks, and you may not even be able to tell if this has happened until too late (at, say, the 2033 Sydney Offline)..."Damaged screwcaps are an even bigger problem for wine quality than cork taint, according to research by one of Australia’s newest masters of wine.
The level of physical damage to screwcaps found in retail outlets was a shocking 26 per cent, while the level of damage severe enough to cause loss of quality in wine was 8.2 per cent – a level higher than generally acknowledged for cork taint.
Much of the damage results from handling in retail outlets. Bottles in presentation racks had the highest level of damage, and large retail outlets were found to have higher levels of damage than small. Damage also occurs during application, packing, storage, transport and unpacking.
The research was done by Alison Eisermann-Ctercteko as part of her Master of Wine dissertation. She found decorated caps were the most susceptible to damage, presumably because the printing process involves heat which weakens the metal.
She also found that plastic-lined caps, such as Stelvin Luxe, are more sturdy, although more expensive. They can carry decorations, logos etc without being compromised. The study is published in Wine & Viticulture Journal Volume 28 Number 5."
Summary courtesy of Huon Hooke, Corkscore Newsletter
I would love to read the full article but its subscribers only, I will see if I can dig it up.
