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Screw cap — what's right, what's wrong
Made famous by Australia in 1964. Screw caps were patented in 1889 but didn't enter wine seriously until 1964, when Yalumba and other Australian producers got tired of cork taint and switched. The dominant brand is Stelvin.
What screw cap does well: zero cork taint, total consistency, no corkscrew needed, lower cost, recyclable. Many Australian and New Zealand producers — even premium icon-level — use screw caps exclusively.
The live debate: long-term aging. Some producers say screw-cap wines age beautifully, just slower. Others believe true 20-year evolution still needs cork.
