Cellaring of screwcaps

[Damo961]

Okay without getting into any of the arguments about which closure is better...

What's the best way to cellar screwcaps?
I have been just laying them down like those sealed with cork but
I had a carton the other day arrive with "For long term storage Store this way up" advising me to store them standing upright.

Is there a right way? or does either work equally well?

[SueNZ]

Mine ususally sit upright if they are in boxes, or on their sides in a rack. If you lay the bottles on their sides, at least you will know if you have a leaky cap. I think with screwcaps you have the choice to do what you want.

[Shiraz Man]

I emailed John Vickery of Richmond Grove about this issue. His reply was that yes you can stand them upright, but they will cellar better if they are on their side, just as you would cellar them with cork.

[TORB]

I emailed John Vickery of Richmond Grove about this issue. His reply was that yes you can stand them upright, but they will cellar better if they are on their side, just as you would cellar them with cork.

Interesting. I would like to know why that is the case.

[Gary W]

I emailed John Vickery of Richmond Grove about this issue. His reply was that yes you can stand them upright, but they will cellar better if they are on their side, just as you would cellar them with cork.

Interesting. I would like to know why that is the case.

So you can tell if they leak.
GW

[Daryl Douglas]

I emailed John Vickery of Richmond Grove about this issue. His reply was that yes you can stand them upright, but they will cellar better if they are on their side, just as you would cellar them with cork.

Interesting. I would like to know why that is the case.

So you can tell if they leak.
GW

Or the volume of air in the bottle is spread over a larger surface area of wine when the bottle is on it's side, rather than just the surface area in the neck?

[Matthew Moate]

Would it make any difference for reds or whites?

[Craig(NZ)]

im with sue, depends on what suits

dunno if it makes any dofference either way

[Matthew Moate]

Perhaps George at Villa is the best person to ask...

[pokolbinguy]

I emailed John Vickery of Richmond Grove about this issue. His reply was that yes you can stand them upright, but they will cellar better if they are on their side, just as you would cellar them with cork.

Interesting. I would like to know why that is the case.

So you can tell if they leak.
GW

Or the volume of air in the bottle is spread over a larger surface area of wine when the bottle is on it's side, rather than just the surface area in the neck?

I would assume that having a smaller surface area exposed to the air would be an advantage due to the slower absorption of any oxygen in the air trapped in the bottle.

However when the wine is bottled it is gassed with an inert gas that does not oxidise the wine (e.g nitrogen).

The screwcap itself is also non-porous, unlike cork, meaning there is no air movement from the outside to the inside and vica versa so there is no chance of oxygen getting to the wine, therefore increasing the life expectancy of the wine as it ages at its own pace. this however is given that the seal is not broken.

This would mean that the bottle could be in any position. Laying down or standing up however would be the most beneficial as any crust thrown by the wine over time will then be collected in the base of the bottle.

Chers, Brett