In recent years we have invested quite a lot of time and effort in attempting to find the ‘perfect closure’ for our wine (not that there really is such a thing). Actually, to be more accurate, what I should say is that we have attempted to find the closure best suited to our wine, and for us this appears to be Nomacorc. Of course the latest fashion in sealing a bottle of wine is screw cap, and at least a few of the markets that we work with have asked about the possibility of introducing this. As yet we have not made the change, and this is largely for three reasons – Firstly, we do not believe that the Spanish market would accept it. Secondly, it would mean a significant financial investment at a time when many businesses are more concerned with belt-tightening. Finally, and most importantly, Nomacorc has worked well for us since 2002, and I would be very reluctant to make a change purely on the basis of ‘fashion’.

A few days ago we received an envelope through the post which upon examination looked like it might contain a handful of glass marbles (the type we used to play with as children). I confess that I did not imagine that it would contain samples of glass wine closures – a system called Vino-Lok. In truth I had seen this system before, but only on paper, I had never actually seen one of their glass stoppers.

Made in Czech Republic, I believe they are most widely used in the German market, including Lufthansa Airlines (this might be something to do with the German obsession for re-cycling). Of course with a glass closure there can be no problems with cork taint and bottles can be opened and resealed quite easily, but the downside is that this is quite an expensive product which, as with the screw cap, requires a significant modification of the bottling line.

A nice idea, but perhaps not for us.

In recent years we have invested quite a lot of time and effort in attempting to find the ‘perfect closure’ for our wine (not that there really is such a thing). Actually, to be more accurate, what I should say is that we have attempted to find the closure best suited to our wine, and for us this appears to be Nomacorc. Of course the latest fashion in sealing a bottle of wine is screw cap, and at least a few of the markets that we work with have asked about the possibility of introducing this. As yet we have not made the change, and this is largely for three reasons – Firstly, we do not believe that the Spanish market would accept it. Secondly, it would mean a significant financial investment at a time when many businesses are more concerned with belt-tightening. Finally, and most importantly, Nomacorc has worked well for us since 2002, and I would be very reluctant to make a change purely on the basis of ‘fashion’.

A few days ago we received an envelope through the post which upon examination looked like it might contain a handful of glass marbles (the type we used to play with as children). I confess that I did not imagine that it would contain samples of glass wine closures – a system called Vino-Lok. In truth I had seen this system before, but only on paper, I had never actually seen one of their glass stoppers.

Made in Czech Republic, I believe they are most widely used in the German market, including Lufthansa Airlines (this might be something to do with the German obsession for re-cycling). Of course with a glass closure there can be no problems with cork taint and bottles can be opened and resealed quite easily, but the downside is that this is quite an expensive product which, as with the screw cap, requires a significant modification of the bottling line.

A nice idea, but perhaps not for us.