Thinking caps

WINE: Indian wine makers are switching their bottles from traditional cork to modern screwcaps.

Two years from now, we will wonder why we were having this discussion at all," predicts Sula Vineyards' managing director Rajeev Samant. But it's 2006, and the discussion is still as relevant as it is fiercely contested.

Old world wineries are locking horns with the new world over the use of screwcaps in place of classic cork, and the wine industry is split down the middle.

Not here, it isn't. For the nascent wine market that is India (750,000 cases last year), it is rather surprising to see all three wine majors convert to the merits of the screwcap, and that too, via decisions all made independently at roughly the same time.

Bravo, say some, this is the way to the future! Ugh, say some others, how unromantic can you get!

"For us, the choice was a no-brainer," says Samant, "because ultimately, it's a quality issue." The big benefit of screwcaps: a drastic reduction in spoilage.

According to Kapil Grover, CEO, Grover Vineyards, roughly 5-7 per cent of wine goes bad, globally "" because of bacteria that lies dormant and undetected in some corks prior to bottling.

Grover was an early adopter, switching to the screwcap for its Rose three months ago, followed by its Whites. "I've been thinking about it for over two years, but was unsure of how customers would react," says Grover.

And then there are other consumer benefits too, say wine makers. The aluminium screwcap, also called the Stelvin cap, has an inner liner made of a permeable material that helps seal the bottle tighter than cork does.

"Open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc six months after purchase, and the bouquet will jump out at you fresh," is Sawant's promise. The screwcap allows easy opening and re-sealing too.

"Ninety-nine per cent of Indian households do not own a corkscrew," says Samant. While that's not an easy figure to substantiate, he does have a point. Screwcaps make wine storage easier too "" with no cork to keep moist, you don't have to rest the bottle horizontally.

Don't, however, feel ripped off when you realise you're still paying the same price for a bottle with a twist-off. This isn't a cost-cutting measure.

In fact, according to Samant, screwcaps cost an additional Rs 3-4 per bottle. This is because only high-quality bottles will do, and these need to be imported. "It's totally worth it," though, he adds.

Sula's Sauvignon Blanc, with its new screwcap, is currently making its way to retail outlets. Zinfandel Blush will follow. And word is out that Chateau Indage, the market leader, is in the process of switching too.

But does a screwcap allow for the all-important, price-swaying ageing of wine? "That debate is still on," admits Grover. And for now, producers are sitting on the fence with their red wines that require ageing.

Whatever the choice there, Stelvin has taken several markets around the world by storm. Notably, New Zealand and Australia.

Only France remains resolutely cork-happy, and predictably so. "Today, retailers in the UK want nothing but screwcap, but our US distributors say, 'give us a year'," reports Grover, "I say, 'what are you guys waiting for?'"

But what of the cork popping ceremony? "There's too much made of the romance of the cork," sniffs Grover, "what's romantic about opening a spoilt bottle of wine?"