By Amy Looker
A leading events company has welcomed De Bortoli Wines' groundbreaking new release of what is believed to be the world's first screw-capped sparkling wines.
Developed in conjunction with Guala Closures Australia and glass manufacturer, O-I, the screw-cap, named Viiva, has been applied to De Bortoli's Trevi range of sparkling wines and its on-premise exclusive sparkling, Willowglen.
The news came as top winemakers Stephen Henschke and Iain Riggs revealed why they would never go back to cork on their wines.
De Bortoli Wines' national sales manager, Peter Yeoman, said the sparkling screw-cap closure provides consumers with significant advantages.
"This closure system is perfectly suited to sparkling wines which are popular among women who often report difficulties in opening cork-closures and resealing a bottle with alternative closures once opened," said Yeoman.
"The sparkling screw-cap closure eliminates safety issues often associated with opening cork-closures and will encourage responsible consumption of alcohol as it enables consumers to drink one glass of wine, while maintaining carbonation days after opening."
Yeoman also highlighted the obvious benefits to the on-premise trade, where the use of a screw-cap on sparkling wine will drastically reduce the amount of time to open large numbers of sparkling wine bottles, as well as significantly reduce wastage.
"This technology has huge appeal with on-premise customers because it reduces the time staff spend opening standard cork-closures, a huge advantage when dealing with multiple bottle openings at busy venues or major events when speedy service is critical," said Yeoman.
"It's also the ideal solution for venues wishing to serve sparkling wine by the glass and reduce wastage as well as cost."
Bridget Ditte, general manager of events catering company, Bayleaf Catering, told TheShout that the new technology was a positive step forward in improving efficiency when serving sparkling wine at events.
"The best point about this product is the time it saves our bar staff at these large events," she said.
"Of course we all love the romance behind the cage system and the pop of that cork, but for big events the new screw-caps for sparkling wine will dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of our service."
Guala Closure Australia's national sales and marketing manager, Simon Yudelevich, said the technology was five years in the making and believes the sparkling screw-cap closure will provide winemakers and consumers with significant advantages.
"The biggest advantage for winemakers is the ability for them to work with one type of closure component, helping to reduce the complexity of filling lines and improve production efficiencies," Yudelevich said.
The Trevi range and Willowglen Sparkling Brut with the Viiva screw-cap closure are on sale this month.
Click below to watch a video of De Bortoli's Peter Yeoman demonstrating the new technology:
see attached article on screw capped sparkling wine.