Stelvin / Screw Cap

(See also: Cork, Corky / Cork Taint, Corkscrew)

Developed during the 1960s, but only used for wine on a wide scale since the last turn of the century, the screw cap or Stelvin closure removes the danger of cork taint to the wine. On the other hand it also seals the bottle almost hermetically, thereby slowing down the aging process (it continues driven by oxygen dissolved in the wine). Gut Hermannsberg uses screw caps for our VDP Gutsweine / Estate Wines because it helps preserve all the fruit and freshness. However, for our VDP Ortsweine / Village Wines and GGs / “Grand Crus” we prefer cork closures as they prevent the wines from aging too slowly or retaining funky aromas for years.