Screwcaps instead of corks signal convenience, not wine quality
Winemakers are embracing screwcaps as a way to eliminate the 1 percent to 10 percent of bottles spoiled by a cork contaminated with 2,4,6 trichloroanisole (TCA). TCA, a chemical either present in the bark of the cork tree or one that forms in the cork during processing, strips a wine's fruitiness, making it taste dull or worse, and imparts a wet-cardboard aroma. (It is not harmful to the wine drinker, just to the wine). Many winemakers believe that wines bottled with a screwcap instead of a cork taste fresher, even in the absence of TCA. The reluctance of wineries to switch entirely to screwcaps stems from image and the remaining question of how wines bottled this way will develop as they age.
New Zealand has led the campaign for screwcaps especially for their sauvignon blancs -- lively, fresh wines meant for immediate consumption. After experimenting with screwcaps for some of its wines, Wolf Blass, the excellent Australian producer, is now bottling all of its Gold Label Riesling, a deliciously refreshing wine, with that closure.
French producers -- from Fortant de France with its inexpensive but consistently good range from the Languedoc, to the Lurton family's prestigious bottlings from the Graves region of Bordeaux -- are climbing on board.
Seemingly unconcerned about issues of aging, Plumpjack Winery in California uses screwcaps on its $100-plus bottles of cabernet.
A screwcap-closed bottle is perfect for a picnic: no need for a corkscrew, no need to feel compelled to finish the bottle. Just screw the cap back on, refrigerate, and it will be fine for at least another day or two.
Highfield Estate, located in the Marlborough region on the north tip of the South Island, New Zealand's most renowned area for growing sauvignon blanc, has a great reputation for wines made from that grape. Its 2003 might be its finest effort yet. It has the quintessential zest of sauvignon blanc from the Marlborough region, coupled with an attractive mineral edge. It will cut through any spicy picnic fare.
Highfield Estate, Sauvignon Blanc, 2003. About $16. Distributed by United Liquors, 800-445-0076. 
