Innovations in Marketing at Prowein 2010
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A set of presentations given at the Down2Earth area at Prowein in March 2010.
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Innovations in Marketing at Prowein 2010
- 3. Innovation... Marketing... Two concepts wine producers in the Old World have rarely embraced...
- 6. But these are the exceptions to the rule
- 8. Vaudeville theatre Silent Film Sound Film Television
- 14. DoILikeIt Survey. London Wine Show. Oct 2009 Region Brand Grape Don’t Know Moulis 33% 17% 21% 29% Malbec 18% 20% 26% 36% Guigal 24% 19% 24% 33% Torres 18% 57% 18% 6% McLaren Vale 45% 55% Clarendon Hills 33% 58% 9%
- 18. Down2Earth Presentation by David Cunningham Vice President, Business Development, Europe
- 19. Innovation in the Wine Industry Success Factors & Future Drivers Down to Earth Seminar New World @ Prowein: 21 March 2010
- 20. Constellation Europe builds wine brands from all major new world origins
- 23. … Understand which needs, motivations & behaviours drive wine consumption ….& profit growth
- 24. 5. Meet these needs…. Take the lead & take a risk - Launch!
- 25. Drivers of Innovation in wine in the future……
- 26. ETHICAL PACKAGING & PRODUCTION
- 29. OFF & ON TRADE
- 30. SOCIAL MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY
- 32. March 21 st , 2010
- 34. Social Networking Penetration Exploding Consumer generated media influence continues to grow! Page Source: Nielsen OnLine, Global Index (USA, Brazil, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Australia) U.S.: 67% Nielsen OnLine listens to the BUZZ - from nearly 100 MM blogs, social networks, groups, boards and other CGM platforms
- 35. Page What’s Hot in Sales is Also Hot in Online Buzz *Source: Nielsen Total U.S. Food/Drug/Liquor Plus; thru 05-02-09 **Source: Nielsen BuzzMetrics (May 09 vs. May 08) Dollar % Change Chile – Cab Sauv Argentina - Malbec New Zealand – Sauv Blanc Sales Value % Change +15% +66% +18% Buzz % Change +55% +95% +85% Buzz Sentiment
- 36. WoC Social Media Initiatives
- 40. Case Study: On-Line Blogger Tasting MODERATOR IN NYC TASTING KIT SENT BY MAIL TO EACH PARTICIPANT 8 WINEMAKERS IN CHILE TO GUIDE TASTING AND PARTICIPATE IN Q&A
- 43. Over 75 Participating Bloggers
- 44. US National Reach & International Impact! 2 4 5 7 14 17 Number of Bloggers per State
- 45. Very Active Presence on Twitter
- 46. Sample Tweets
- 49. Example Coverage Wine Peeps, 11/10/09 1WineDude.com, 11/9/09 About.com, 11/6/09 Benito’s Wine Reviews, 11/16/09
- 50. Very Positive Blogger Feedback (via Twitter, emails and platform comment section) “ A fun and informative evening. Some revelations for me on a few of these wines. A very strong lineup across the board and excellent values, too.” Dennis Attick, Decatur Wine Dude “ I have to say, I really like [the Carmen] very diff than the others - I find some chocolate in the mid palate especially with the steak.” Matt Horbund, A Good Time with Wine “ Have to say I’m curious to compare this to that 2006 bottle we originally got. I get cocoa powder on this. I rather like it.” Michelle Lentz, My Wine Education “ Terra Andina - like this one, blueberry liqour with very slight hints of sauerkraut.” Frank Morgan, Drink What YOU You Like “ Re-tasting the wines from the #winesofchile tasting to get better notes. Really digging the Terra Andina Altos the more I explore it.” Tim Lemke, Cheap Wine Ratings “ Thoroughly enjoyed the #WinesOfChile Carmenere tasting tonight. Great stuff. Value at all price points.” Robert Dwyer, Wellesley Wine Press “ Not much twitter chat due to in-meeting Chat session in the #winesofchile event, but some impressive QPR going on right now in these wines.” Joe Roberts, MS, 1WineDude “ Cono Sur Vision: sumptuous, going well with our guacamole, opening up nice. A favorite so far. rich cherry now.” David Crowley, CookingChat “ I would LOVE a Sauvignon Blanc tasting!!!” Megan Kenney, Wannabe Wino “ Chilean Wine ---- ROCKS!” Amy Corron-Power, Another Wine Blog “ I really love what y’all got going on down there.” Duane Pemberton, WineFoot “ This was very well-organized and I learned so much! Really wonderful tasting and very comprehensive.” Elizabeth Schneider, Wine for Normal People
- 53. March 21 st , 2010
- 55. Social Networking Penetration Exploding Consumer generated media influence continues to grow! Page Source: Nielsen OnLine, Global Index (USA, Brazil, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Australia) U.S.: 67% Nielsen OnLine listens to the BUZZ - from nearly 100 MM blogs, social networks, groups, boards and other CGM platforms
- 56. Page What’s Hot in Sales is Also Hot in Online Buzz *Source: Nielsen Total U.S. Food/Drug/Liquor Plus; thru 05-02-09 **Source: Nielsen BuzzMetrics (May 09 vs. May 08) Dollar % Change Chile – Cab Sauv Argentina - Malbec New Zealand – Sauv Blanc Sales Value % Change +15% +66% +18% Buzz % Change +55% +95% +85% Buzz Sentiment
- 57. WoC Social Media Initiatives
- 61. Case Study: On-Line Blogger Tasting MODERATOR IN NYC TASTING KIT SENT BY MAIL TO EACH PARTICIPANT 8 WINEMAKERS IN CHILE TO GUIDE TASTING AND PARTICIPATE IN Q&A
- 64. Over 75 Participating Bloggers
- 65. US National Reach & International Impact! 2 4 5 7 14 17 Number of Bloggers per State
- 66. Very Active Presence on Twitter
- 67. Sample Tweets
- 70. Example Coverage Wine Peeps, 11/10/09 1WineDude.com, 11/9/09 About.com, 11/6/09 Benito’s Wine Reviews, 11/16/09
- 71. Very Positive Blogger Feedback (via Twitter, emails and platform comment section) “ A fun and informative evening. Some revelations for me on a few of these wines. A very strong lineup across the board and excellent values, too.” Dennis Attick, Decatur Wine Dude “ I have to say, I really like [the Carmen] very diff than the others - I find some chocolate in the mid palate especially with the steak.” Matt Horbund, A Good Time with Wine “ Have to say I’m curious to compare this to that 2006 bottle we originally got. I get cocoa powder on this. I rather like it.” Michelle Lentz, My Wine Education “ Terra Andina - like this one, blueberry liqour with very slight hints of sauerkraut.” Frank Morgan, Drink What YOU You Like “ Re-tasting the wines from the #winesofchile tasting to get better notes. Really digging the Terra Andina Altos the more I explore it.” Tim Lemke, Cheap Wine Ratings “ Thoroughly enjoyed the #WinesOfChile Carmenere tasting tonight. Great stuff. Value at all price points.” Robert Dwyer, Wellesley Wine Press “ Not much twitter chat due to in-meeting Chat session in the #winesofchile event, but some impressive QPR going on right now in these wines.” Joe Roberts, MS, 1WineDude “ Cono Sur Vision: sumptuous, going well with our guacamole, opening up nice. A favorite so far. rich cherry now.” David Crowley, CookingChat “ I would LOVE a Sauvignon Blanc tasting!!!” Megan Kenney, Wannabe Wino “ Chilean Wine ---- ROCKS!” Amy Corron-Power, Another Wine Blog “ I really love what y’all got going on down there.” Duane Pemberton, WineFoot “ This was very well-organized and I learned so much! Really wonderful tasting and very comprehensive.” Elizabeth Schneider, Wine for Normal People
- 74. Screwcaps and New World Wines – a Marketing Innovation? Charlotte Read – Villa Maria Estate, NZ
- 77. Why Screwcaps? A picture says a thousand words Screwcap Range of different Closures - 28 months after bottling P. Godden AWRI
- 80. Where did the screwcap revolution all begin?
- 84. 2004 100 million 2010 Over 3 Billion = A growth of 3 000 % Screwcap market
- 86. The UK Market The consumer’s acceptance Source: Wine Intelligence Consumer access 2003-2006 +37% in four years
- 87. Highest percentage of screwcap market share Our estimation for Chile : 40 % on the total volume of bottled wine
- 96. Innovations in Marketing Develop promotional campaigns/ educational tools Insert some images from Villa screw Cap marketing materials
- 99. “ Corks will come out I believe wines bottled with corks will be in the minority by 2015. The cork industry has not invested in techniques that will prevent "corked" wines afflicted with the musty, moldy, wet-basement smell that ruins up to 15 percent of all wine bottles. The consequences of this laissez-faire attitude will be dramatic. More and more state-of-the-art wineries are moving to screw caps for wines that need to be consumed within 3 to 4 years of the vintage (about 95 percent of the world's wines). The one exception will be great wines meant to age for 20 to 30 years that will still be primarily cork finished-although even the makers of these wines may experience consumer backlash if the cork industry does not solve the problem of defective corks. Synthetic corks, by the way, are not the solution. “ Robert M. Parker, Jr., editor and publisher of The Wine Advocate
Editor's Notes
- Thank you Robert …… Good Afternoon As Robert said, I have been asked to present a view from Constellation Wines on Innovation in the Wine Industry I will focus on 2 areas: Firstly, What are the key factors for successful Innovation? Secondly, What trends & consumer needs may drive wine innovation in the future? 2 big topics ….. & I have been told I have to do this in 10 mins….so please forgive me if I I talk quickly
- CE is part of Constellation Brands = No1 Wine Co in the world - Portfolio of brands from all new world wine regions SA = Flagstone, FishHoek, Kumala. CA = Robert Mondavi, Ravenswood & Echo Falls. NZ = Kim Crawford & Nobilo , Aus = Hardys, Banrock Station ….& our most recent new product launch from Chile = Gran Tierra We believe strongly in the power of building brands that emotionally connect with consumers We believe Innovation is absolutely critical for our brands & for the industry a) to remain appealing & relevant to current consumers & needs … and b) to create new products and packaging that appeal to new consumers, needs & occasions vs strong competition from beer & spirits …I firmly believe as an industry we could & should be doing more !!
- So how can you maximise the chances of creating successful innovation in your company ? …Especially when 9 out of 10 new product launches fail!! Arrogant to suggest Constellation has the answers ….so let me position these as some thoughts or suggestions There are lots of factors …but in my experience there are 5 `golden ` rules – List them: Ideas :Encourage ideas – internally from all staff + externally – suppliers, agencies . Run workshops to build ideas from trend & consumer data or new pack & technology breakthroughs + other sources – universities etc People: You need dedicated person to champion Innovation & galvanise rest of business to support it + ideally champions in each key function – winemaking, ops, finance, sales Stage / Gate Process: Sounds dull – not very creative but essential to drive concepts to launch securing sign off & decisions senior mgt for € & People @ Gate Meetings – To move to next Stage of Project Development Retailer Partnerships - Understand their needs , their insights on consumers & secure support for excellent launch I was originally planning to expand on each of these areas …but time does not allow so instead I will only focus on just one …but it is the most important one …. Understanding consumers as this is where great innovation starts
- CE commissioned consumer research In 2007 & updated since – Biggest in wine industry Allowed us to segment different consumer groups based on their involvement / knowledge of wine & level of spend Huge amount of insight on their needs, motivations & occasions for wine drinking But you do not need formal or expensive research …there is a lot of information out there – trends, consumers , predictions etc – Read ! Lot of expertise within your company – Encourage it to be shared – workshops, idea generation etc Get out from your desk – In to On & Off Trade – Observe & talk to your consumers!!
- Understand which of these needs, motivations & occasions will be the big drivers of wine consumption…& ultimately profit growth for you & your retailer partners From our research we have identified 6 core drivers of growth for wine in both the On & Off Trade These are 1) Everyday Celebration, 2) Experimentation, 3) On Hand @ Home 4) Lighter Drinking 5) First Steps & 6) Savour the Moment (Indulgence & Relaxation)
- Having identified these needs …I conveniently jump through the process of idea generation, concept development, taking concepts through all the required development stages, product development & testing…..to launch Taking the risk to invest in launching products & packs into the market ..it is risky, there is no guaranteed success even if research says it will be successful you don`t know until you have launched The easiest decision for any group of senior managers / Co board is to say no…saying yes takes courage . Pleased to say in Constellation our Board has quite a good track record in saying yes, taking the risk & taking the lead Here you can see a few recent examples of our innovation against the need they are meeting Lighter Drinking = Echo Falls Spritz & Banrock Moscato Experimentation = Gran Tierra – New wine from Chile On Hand @ Home = Freshcase in UK & Europe = Convenience & Quality @ Home = Over a year in development + significant investment in time & financial resource …& launched in Oct last Year = Recession & tough economic times for wine industry ….that is taking a lead !!
- So the big question is what may be the consumer needs, motivations & occasions that we should all be trying to meet through new products & packs in the future ? I say MAY BE as opposed to WILL BE as there is an element of crystal ball gazing required here There are literally hundreds of trends, predictions & directions out there ….once again I will highlight what we believe our 5 Golden Opportunties.
- First ly, Ethical Packaging & Production : Key Issues of a) our environment b) threat of climate change c) how much waste we are generating creating Demand for Ethical Packaging will grow at pace. Driven by media , governments & non-Government Organisations, such as WRAP in the UK. Major retailers have no choice but to help lead the push for ethical packaging 3) There are huge opportunities in communicating better the benefits of existing packaging options, and developing new, improved, formats eg bottling in market combined with the use of ‘lightweight bottles’ significantly reduces the carbon footprint of wine. 4) We need to better communicate these great benefits to our consumers, turning what might be perceived as a negative (not made bottled at source or lower quality glass bottles) into a positive. Eg CyT Sunrise range – clearly communicating the benefits of the ‘LightWeight Bottle” – the Eco Glass Bottle. 5) New packaging alternatives that weigh less are also key innovation opportunities. These will be most powerful when combined with our key consumer benefits: eg Arniston’s Bay launch of the Pouch format or our Bud Naked + Kenco Coffee 6) FreshCase – 30% lighter & less packaging + no wine wastage – cost effective half bottles down the sink 7) Will PET bottles have their day after some failed launch attempts ? 8) Ethical production – traceable provenance, organic Fairtrade or actually provenance of wine origin & bottled at source
- 1) Second is the area I have called Convenient Quality – This is a combination of trends coming together @Home consumption + increased demand for quality & premiumisation of in home experience & convenience + outdoor/indoor entertaining Consumers ‘time pressure’ and demand for convenient solution for purchasing, transportation, storing and consumption will continue to be a huge opportunity for wine innovation. Out of Home we expect the trend behind outdoor festivals and experiences will grow as people look to balance their daily lives that are focused indoors, in front of PCs. The growing influence of Music Festivals creates packaging innovation opportunities. Whether it be the ease of storage and speed of serve of draught wine, or easy to serve and carry formats such as our Hardys Shuttles or Arniston Bay’s Pouch. With the continued pressure of the global economy, in home drinking will continue to be a huge opportunity for innovation. From convenient ways of purchasing wine (such as one line delivery) to premium packaging solutions that fits the occasions and quality of the home environment. As an example outside wine, just think of he quality of ‘Nespresso’ innovation, or the investment behind Heineken’s keg. Clearly FreshCase is an example of where we have focused on this opportunity of providing ‘On Hand at Home’ solutions for wine. We believe there are many more opportunities that should be explored.
- Our 4 th Innovation Driver, and by no means the least important, is Health. For all societies, governments and people, health is the top of the agenda, quite rightly so. There continues to be growing pressure on governments and the alcohol industry to address the concerns of alcohol abuse and impact of over-consumption. The bluntest tool used is continued growth in taxation. However, pressure is being put in via other areas. Restrictions on advertising and growing social awareness campaigns. Although spirits and alcopops are often used as the face of alcohol abuse, there is growing recognition about the impacts of over consumption of wine. Not least illustrated by the risk of serving increasingly large glass of 14%+ wine. There will be immediate practical solutions that need to be find to any new regulation – such as mandatory communications on packaging of alchohol units and potential heath warnings. However, for innovation, there will be challenges and opportunities to deliver both product and packaging innovations that support the consumer and social needs. This we believe will include: Lower ABV wine products, such as our launch of Echo Falls 4% Spritzer, First Cape’s recent launch of 5.5% Café Collection de-alcoholised wine, or WineZero launched in Italy this year at 0.5%. Packaging solutions, such as half bottles, that allow consumers to go for higher quality and lower quantity without having to spend more per unit. Better communication of how much people are drinking – in terms of quantity (such as the level indicator available in Bag in Box in Sweden), ABV, and alcohol units (Spritz for example is 1 unit).
- The environment and the threat of climate change will continue to be one of the key issues facing all of us, as people, companies or governments. We believe the social and commercial demand for Ethical Packaging will grow at pace. Driven by continued headline status in media and growing pressure and education from Non-Government Organisations, such as WRAP in the UK. Major retailers have no choice but to help lead the push for ethical packaging, with agreements already in place with governments in all markets. Such as the Courthold Agreement in the UK. There are huge opportunities for suppliers and brand owners to drive innovation in ethical packaging. Both by communicating better the benefits of existing packaging options, and developing new, improved, formats. For example, we know that bottling in market combined with the use of ‘lightweight bottles’ significantly reduces the carbon footprint of wine. We need to better communicate these great benefits to our consumers, turning what might be perceived as a negative (not made bottled at source or lower quality glass bottles) into a positive. A good example of this is they communication Concha T Toro now have on the Sunrise range – clearly communicating the benefits of the ‘LightWeight Bottle” – the Eco Glass Bottle. New packaging alternatives to wine that weigh less are also key innovation opportunities. These will be most powerful when combined with our key consumer benefits: Such as Arniston’s Bay launch of the Pouch format, that is perfect for outside occasions. Such as the beach or on your boat. Or our FreshCase – offering our award winning Nottage Hill in a larger format that keeps your wine fresh and is easier to store at home than bottles. The white, for example, fitting perfectly in your fridge. Containing the equivalent of 3 bottles, but taking up the space of one bottle.
- The growing influence and power of the 1980s children (called the Millenial Generation) is already shaping how we need to start selling and marketing our wines. Driving the growing impact of social network empowered by new media. The Millenials have grownup in the technology era, unlike most of us, with many learning how to use a mouse before they learnt to write. They are always connected – whether via MSN, Facebook or Bebo. As a consequence they challenge traditional advertising, with it’s one way message, and now expect more of a two way conversations with brands. They looks for guidance from like minded individuals and groups, rather than traditional experts. The growing power and influence of groups such as Mumsnet is an example of this. Consumer campaigns can grow at great speed and have great impact on brand owners. Creating opportunities as well as challenges. In August 2007 a Facebook Campaign to bring back Caburrys Wispa resulted in a re-launch. The wine community is already responding to this new world. Wine Blogs have proliferated. Wine marketeers, such as Gary Vaynerchuck in the US and his Wine TV are talking to consumers in a more informal and conversational way. Retailers are starting to utilise new media, such as Tesco Wine App to provide information on wine products And producers and brand owner are recognising the power of these new social networks. We, for example, have started to use Facebook to get feedback on new product concepts specifically targeting this new generation of wine consumers. We also have embraced YouTube and Twitter to communicate the launch of our new packaging innovation FreshCase…not just to tell people about our launch, but also to get feedback so we can improve our proposition and our communication. Lastly, we have set up a Innovator of the Year competition at Universities, targeting the Millenial Generation as a source of creative ideas.
- Wine & Spirits consultant Michael Green served as a moderator between eight winemakers in Chile and the bloggers in the USA. Bloggers were sent a tasting kit prior to the event that included one bottle of each wine, two wine glasses, one spittoon, one corkscrew, and a press kit with a tasting sheet, log-in instructions, technical sheets and a recipe for Pebre (a delicious Chilean Chimichurri!).
- Wines of Chile developed a relationship via twitter with participating bloggers prior to the event. Wines of Chile monitored Twitter before, during and after the tasting to engage the bloggers, field questions, assist with technical problems, and gauge the success of the tasting. A “hash tag” was developed to field all comments related to the tasting. Including #winesofchile in a tweet allowed bloggers to find other participants and WOC to monitor the conversations.
- Wine & Spirits consultant Michael Green served as a moderator between eight winemakers in Chile and the bloggers in the USA. Bloggers were sent a tasting kit prior to the event that included one bottle of each wine, two wine glasses, one spittoon, one corkscrew, and a press kit with a tasting sheet, log-in instructions, technical sheets and a recipe for Pebre (a delicious Chilean Chimichurri!).
- Wines of Chile developed a relationship via twitter with participating bloggers prior to the event. Wines of Chile monitored Twitter before, during and after the tasting to engage the bloggers, field questions, assist with technical problems, and gauge the success of the tasting. A “hash tag” was developed to field all comments related to the tasting. Including #winesofchile in a tweet allowed bloggers to find other participants and WOC to monitor the conversations.
- This presentation is not a closure debate. Accordingly to a recent article in Drinks Business Jamie Good said that closures were the hot topic in the wine industry, but now to talk about it seems a little last year, or last decade..
- This is a Marketing Innovation Seminar therefore this talk will not focus on the technical aspects of screwcaps. But this famous picture from Godden’s AWRI study shows the huge degree of bottle variation under cork closure. P. Godden et al (2001) Conclusions about Screwcaps (Analytical): 1. Lowest Reduction in Free and Total SO 2 . 2. Highest retained Free SO 2. 3. Highest retained Ascorbic Acid. 4. Lowest incidence of Browning (OD 420 ). 5. Least variation between bottles for all compositional variables. The Australian Wine Research Institute conducted extensive research using bottles of a US$7 Australian Semillon sealed with 14 different closures in 1999 : two different grades of natural cork 2 technical corks incorporating a synthetic component 2 Twintops 9 varieties of synthetic 1 screwcap Scientists then used a range of criteria to test the effectiveness of the stoppers. The 3 main tests were tainting, extraction force and sulphur dioxide retention. The shock winner was the screwcap, which was easy to get off, retained the most SO2 and had virtually no tainting. The results showed that screwcap is by far the most effective seal against oxygen. If you want to prevent a wine from going brown and losing freshness this research clearly showed a screwcap is best.
- Because this is not a technical presentation you will not see 2,4,6, trichloroanisole typed anywhere in this presentation!
- A map showing the centre of the winemaking universe The hilarious thing about screw caps is that the technology was developed in France, but they are among the last producer countries to widely embrace the closure. As cork has been used for centuries – people are very suspicious of change. Michel Laroche said the winds of change blow very slowly in the old world. In 2004 on 3 well known producers were using SC on their ultra premium wines – Andre Lurton, Paul Blanck and Laroche It has been the New World wine producers; the collaborators on this Down2Earth stand that have put it on the map
- Latest News Screwcaps take 15% of global market March 9, 2009 By Jamie Goode Screwcaps now boast a 15% share of the world's closure market, according to a leading screwcap manufacturer. Italian closure company Guala claims global screwcap sales have increased by 25% in the past year to 2.5 billion closures. Anne Seznec of Guala said recent growth had come from Europe, which is regarded as a tough market for alternative closures. Related stories: Nomacorc leads major study into closures NASA technology found to remove cork taint Screwcaps are best: Decanter verdict 'We've seen a lot of growth in France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy,' said Seznec. 'Screwcap sales have been growing much faster than we'd thought, since the end of 2006.' We agree with Guala that the wine screw cap market size globally is about 2.5 bn closures', said a spokesperson for Nomacorc, a leading synthetic cork producer. 'Synthetics represent 4 bn closures', they added. Carlos de Jesus, marketing and communications director of cork giant Amorim, suggested these figures were an over-estimate, and put current screwcap sales at 1.7 bn. He believes sales of both screwcaps and natural cork will increase in coming years at the expense of synthetic corks. According to Seznec's estimates, European screwcap sales top one billion. The Australian and New Zealand wine industry use 800m screwcaps every year while Argentina and Chile account for 250m screwcap sales. 'There was fantastic growth in Argentina last year,' says Seznec, 'which surprised us.' Approximately 17.5bn closures are used each year.
- By Tyson Stelzer – August 2007 www.winereviewonline.com I'm about to give you two glasses of the same wine, one from a cork-sealed bottle and the other from a screw-capped bottle. Can you tell me which is which? It's a question I faced last month when I visited Felton Road winery in Central Otago, New Zealand. I didn't know it at the time, but I was about to experience one of the most profound wine comparisons I have ever encountered. I wish I could take you back there with me, but for now you'll just have to accept me handing you the two glasses in cyberspace and asking you to decide which is which from my notes. The wine was the Felton Road 2001 Chardonnay. The glass on the left was a brownish yellow colour, while the wine on the right had a light yellow tint. A quick check of the nose revealed that the wine on the left was corked, and it was quickly whisked away and replaced with another glass. The replacement was the same colour as the first, with a slightly flat bouquet and a palate showing spicy melon flavours. It was clearly oxidised and would, no doubt, have been a better wine some years earlier. The wine on the right was full of life, with integrated peach and grapefruit flavours which lingered on a long finish, supported by fine, minerally acidity. How did you do? Cork-sealed wine on the left; screw cap on the right? No prizes for getting this far! Now let's make it harder. 2001 Felton Road Pinot Noir. Same question. This time the colour told me nothing--they were identical. Left: Spicy, lifted and dusty on the bouquet. The palate displayed attractive red berry fruit, great length, fresh acidity and well-defined, slightly angular tannins. Right: Slightly muted at first, and the finish was a little short. It hadn't been decanted, but after a few minutes of swirling in the glass, attractive spice and red berry fruits blossomed and the finish filled out to even greater length than the wine on the left. Fresh acid again, but the real difference lay in the structure. Here the tannins were finer, more integrated, softer and more rounded. Which is which? My guess was that more integrated tannins pointed to a cork seal. I got it wrong. The question of the ageing of red wine under screw caps has been hotly debated for years. But it's about to take on a whole new perspective, because for the first time in history we now have commercially significant quantities of premium red wines with sufficient bottle age to show some development. The opportunity to taste these wines is now available to everyone. In the past, such wines have been limited to very rare tastings. Now they're going public. Screw caps have been on trial since 1961, and in commercial use for wine since 1972. The first formal trial was conducted in Australia during the 1970s under the direction of Dr. Bryce Rankine. The trial involved some 3000 bottles, red and white, three different screw caps, corks, and countless tastings by trained panels over seven years. By the end of it all, Rankine concluded that this trial confirmed "unequivocally," that, 'the range of wines examined retained their quality with a Stelvin closure significantly better than with a cork.' Reds and whites. This announcement was made almost thirty years ago, but it has only been in recent times that we have seen evidence of the ability of wines to age under screw cap for extremely long periods of time, thanks to bottles which remain from those original trials of the 1960s and 1970s. It is in this area, more than any other, that the screw cap offers an advantage which cannot be replicated by any other alternative closure which has--or will be--developed. Winemakers can have confidence in the ability of the screw cap to sustain a wine long-term because we now have forty-five years of evidence to demonstrate it. In 2005, Burgundian négociant Jean-Claude Boisset announced its move to screw caps in these words: "The tasting which triggered this off was that of a distinguished Mercurey 1966 closed by a screw cap, presented by a dignitary of the Chair of Oenology at the Université de Bourgogne…. It turned out that the wine had an absolutely fantastic freshness, great body, and was in superb condition." The wine was tasted in the spring of 2004, at all of thirty-eight years of age. It emerged from the early screw cap tests conducted at the University of Burgundy, among the first of their kind in France. An even older remnant of these trials, a 1964 Nuits St Georges Premier Cru Burgundy, was opened at a recent tasting and, in the words of Professor Feuillat in the French journal Revue des Oenologues, it "astonished participants by its remarkable state." That's all very well for Pinot Noir, but what about big reds with firm tannins that need to be tamed? In 2005 I had opportunity to present a series of seminars for the wine trade in Japan. One of these involved a comparative tasting of wines under cork and screw cap. The highlight was a bottle of 1996 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz which had been bottled for a study investigating the role of oxygen in the ageing of wine. Under screw cap, the wine was a delight, but the contrast under cork was dramatic. The first cork-sealed bottle showed flavors and aromas of cork wood. The second had a dusty character and its fruit was flat and lifeless. Neither showed the fruit definition or the balanced, aged complexity of the screw-capped bottle, which had developed exactly as one would hope for a full-bodied red almost a decade into its life. Comparisons such as these, and many others like them, confirm that wines can certainly age magnificently under screw cap. And yet it's also apparent that they do not age in exactly the same way that they do under cork. Peter Godden of the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) said recently, "in virtually every case, this is a positive and not a negative thing." He emphasised that the notion that "optimal" ageing is defined by the way in which wine ages under cork is now redundant. Cork is not a reliable reference point and should no longer be regarded as the benchmark for ageing comparisons. He stressed that in his closure trials, whenever wines were bottled under different closures, they were changed so radically that they could effectively be thought of as different wines. They aged not only at different rates but in different ways. The question of the ageing rate of wines in screw cap has been a hot topic of late. It is my belief that the rate at which mature notes (or "characters," as we say Down Under) develop in screw-capped wines is in fact absolutely no different to that under traditional closures. This is evidenced by the fact that wines under screw cap age at a similar rate to those with the very best corks. For a wine under an average cork, however, oxidation effects give the impression of accelerated ageing, which has led to the notion that wines mature slower under screw caps. I believe that the absence of oxidized characters in screw-capped wines gives the mistaken impression of slower ageing. And this is exactly why I thought the Felton Road Pinot Noir with more integrated, less aggressive tannins, was the cork-sealed wine. If you ever doubted that red wine tannins could develop and mature under screw cap, seek out this wine. It is proof in a bottle that red wines can not only age well under screw cap, but better than they can under cork. And not just this wine. Earlier in the same week that I tasted it, the same exercise had been conducted with a much larger selection of red and white wines from the 2001 and 2002 vintages in Central Otago. The result? Across the group of winemakers present, the screw-capped wines were preferred over the cork-sealed wines. In every single case. We can argue about oxygen and wine ageing. We can debate about different methods of measuring oxygen that passes through corks compared with that through screw caps. We can go on about random oxidation, flavour "scalping," cellaring conditions, whatever. But, at the end of the day, when the scientists put away their meters and notebooks and we are left with two glasses on the table in front of us, showcasing the same wine from bottles with different seals, there is only one question that matters. Which wine is better? It's a comparison that I encourage you to make at every available opportunity. Buy every wine you can find under different closures. Taste them young, taste them old, play "options" games to trick your friends, compare the wines, and decide for yourself. And while you're at it, keep an eye out for reductive characters. Hydrogen sulphide is a natural by-product of fermentation, but it can show itself in a wine in a variety of objectionable ways, in aromas and flavours that range from struck flint and burnt matches to rubber, cabbage and rotten eggs. These are described as "reductive" or "reduced," and in sufficient concentration they can overwhelm any wine. More criticism has been levelled at screw caps by the media in relation to reductive characters than any other fault. I encourage you to view these accusations objectively and judge for yourself. If there is a causal link between screw caps and reductive characters, as some claim, then we should be tasting more reductive wines under screw cap than under cork. Check it out for yourself, but my experience, and that of hundreds of experts with whom I have had this conversation, is quite the opposite. In my own tastings in recent years, comprising thousands of predominantly Australian and New Zealand wines, I have encountered more reductive wines under cork than I have under screw cap. The managing director of the AWRI, Professor Sakkie Pretorius, commented recently that "The idea that there is a high incidence of post-bottling reduction in wines sealed with screw caps is a false premise. With Australian wines, where the AWRI has particular expertise, this is demonstrably not the case…. Our position, which we believe is undeniable, remains that the propensity of a wine to develop 'reductive' aromas post-bottling is a function of the wine, and that post-bottling reduction is not the 'fault' of the closure but may be exacerbated by the closure if the wine has a propensity for such aromas to develop." "In his Screw Cap Symposium presentation, Peter Godden discussed data from one of our AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Courses which indicates a higher incidence of reduction in wines sealed with cork compared to wines sealed with screw caps. Two subsequent courses have provided similar data." A lot has been written about screw caps as wine closures in recent years, but if you're not up to speed on the debate, all you really need to do is get out there and taste the wines (and this is always the most fun way to learn as well!). With a bit of practice, you might just do a better job than I did in picking which Felton Road Pinot was which. Best of luck! Tyson Stelzer has been named the world's most prolific writer on the topic of screw caps by The Oxford Companion to Wine. The Australian writer is the author of 'Taming the Screw: A Manual for Winemaking with Screw Caps' and five other wine books. He is a contributor to the closure entries in the third edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine and has presented seminars on the subject in five countries. Tyson was a finalist for the 2006 International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year. His books are available from www.winepress.com.au