There's a new revolution in the New Zealand wine industry. It's the revolution in the twist of the screwcap wine seal. Once looked upon by the consumer as a sign of cheap plonk the screwcap is a 21st century evolution in wine packaging that signifies, for Australia and New Zealand at least, quality wine.

This page offers links to relevant articles both on this site and beyond. Watch for more links as the page evolves.

Please send me any relevant links regarding usage of screwcaps on wine.
Sue Courtney: 19 August 2001

What is it all about?
The History and Revival of Screwcaps August 13 2001, updated July 2004.
The New Zealand Story - Has Kiwi ingenuity gone too far? August 16, 2001
Screwcaps for Wine - The start of a revolution? - This links to the Kumeu River website. To read the transcript of Michael Brajkovich's presentation at the Masters of Wine Symposium in mid-2002, click on the link in the right hand margin.
Book Review - "Screwed for Good by Tyson Stelzer - July 2003.

Links to wineoftheweek.com pages
Screwcaps the way of the future AWRI press release dated July 12, 2001.
Stelvins are go - winemakers adopt the screwcap dated June 30, 2001.
Stelvins get the green light - press release dated June 14, 2001.
The ideal way to cap a good bottle of wine dated October 5, 2000.

My tastings of screwcapped wines
A tasting of some screw capped wines from 2000 to 1975 vintages - 16 August 2001
The Kim Crawford Dry Riesling 2001 - 12 August 2001
Lawson's Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 2001 - 9 September 2001
Of the 2003 releases there are now countless New Zealand wines in screwcap. Check out my Wine Reviews page, where screwcaps are denoted in the review.
But from these tastings you will know it is not just white wines in screwcap.
Martinborough Vineyards Te Tera Pinot Noir 2002 - 31 August 2003
Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2001 - 12 October 2003

Other Links
www.screwcap.co.nz - The official site of the New Zealand Screw Cap Wine Seal Initiative - August 2002.

Downing Family Vineyards in California's Napa Valley produces small case lots of ultra-premium Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. And to cap off a has bottled a portion of their 2000 "Fly By Night" Zinfandel they chose screwcaps. This website also has outstanding resources for screwcap related links in the Screwcap School - December 2002.

Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon farewells the 417-year old Mr Cork at www.deathofthecork.com - October 2002.

Sue Courtney writes about the New Zealand Screwcap Wine Seal Initiative in the December 2001 issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine (scroll down that page - it's the 2nd article in the right hand column).

The UK Circle of Winewriters September/October 2001 newsletter with contributions from New Zealand Master of Wine, Bob Campbell.

Jancis Robinson, MW discusses the AWRI wine closure report. Scroll down this page to see more information on the report supplied to Jancis by NZ's own Michael Brajkovich MW on 3 September 2001.

The New Zealand Herald reports on A new twist for our wine bottles in August 2001.

Vineyard and Winery Magazine article - Alternative Closures: Is Your Packaging Getting "Screwed?".

wineoftheweek.com columnist, Murray Almond, talks about the resurgence of Stelvins and his discussion with Jeff Grosset. Also check out Murray's Stelvin Dent Test - what happens when you drop a bottle of wine sealed with a Stelvin screwcap.

UK Wine Pages web personality, Tom Canavan, tastes old Pewsey Vale Rieslings with winemaker Louisa Rose with wines dating back to 1970. (It is porbable that the early wines in this tasting were sealed with Stelcap, rather than Stelvin).