Screw caps beat corks in wine-bouquet stakes

Ken Sheldrick gives screw caps nine points out of 10, but corks only about five points. Picture / Amos Chapple

Lay down that trendy wine-bottle opener and step away from the ceremony of snobbery and showmanship.

Cork poppers may be the traditional show stoppers, but it's now the humble screw cap that's getting the best rap.

A two-year research project by the University of Auckland shows that screw caps are better than corks at preserving the fruity bouquet of New Zealand's signature sauvignon blanc wines.

The study was led by Dr Laura Nicolau, a wine science lecturer.

"We compared the aromas of bottles that had been sealed with corks and screw caps using a GCMS machine, which is a scientific instrument used to measure and analyse smells," Dr Nicolau said.

"The analysis revealed that the two fruity thiols [aromatic elements] we looked at were up to 23 per cent higher in the bottles using screw caps."

The findings are supported by Villa Maria Estate managing director George Fistonich and Michael Brajkovich of Kumeu River.

Mr Fistonich said professional tasters in his company's New Zealand, British and American markets unanimously favoured screw-capped wines over bottles with corks.

Feedback had suggested that screw-capped wines were fresher and better able to retain their varietal aromas.

Mr Brajkovich has pushed the adoption of screw caps over the past few years.

Critics say New Zealand has embraced screw caps more than any other country.

The Auckland Wine Society cellarmaster for the past 10 years, Ken Sheldrick, said even he favoured screw caps over corks.

"I'd give screw caps a nine out of 10, corks probably about five out of 10."

Mr Sheldrick said at least 10 per cent of fine wines were spoiled by poor-quality corks. "With $100 to $120 bottles, that's a fair amount."

Mt Maunganui wine drinker Russell Muir said he could think of nothing good to say about screw caps, "unless they are used for slap-and-tickle-type wines like sav blanc or riesling".

"Drinking screw-cap wine is like drinking out of a plastic wine glass."