In what is being described a 'brave move', Portuguese giant Sogrape is putting one of its major wines under screwcap.
The Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2010, described as ‘lively and fresh… with refreshing acidity and a pleasant, light spritz’ is sold at around £6.99 in Waitrose, Majestic and the Wine Society.
Moses Botbol wrote:I bought a bottle of Ciconia 2008 Alentejano | Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Aragones lastnight that had a screw cap.
I felt duped a little as the Touriga Nacional is mentioned first on the front label and on the back is only 10% of the wine.
TN sells due to name recognition, can't blame them for that one.
I wish they put them in order or I was just gullible like usual. Next time, I am reading the back. I'll buy any Portuguese wine blind, so I was going to try it either way. I should have grabbed the Duas Quintas instead…
Had a bottle of Casal Garcia (Vinho Verde) yesterday night and it was screw capped.
Also have 2 bottles at home Bons Ventos (Casa Santos Lima), Lisbon wine, that I noticed yesterday were also screw capped.
The above were all $8 or below...
Miguel
I can see why they would use screwcaps for vinho verde, but I couldn't see it spreading further than that. I't won't be driven by Sogrape either. I'd imagine that this is to provide a direct competitor to Kiwi Sauvignon blanc, which would almost certainly be all screwcap at that price. My guess is that at the low end of the market in the Uk, convenience becomes a factor and cork my actually be a disadvantage.
by Glenn E. » Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:58 am
Moses Botbol wrote:I bought a bottle of Ciconia 2008 Alentejano | Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Aragones lastnight that had a screw cap.
I felt duped a little as the Touriga Nacional is mentioned first on the front label and on the back is only 10% of the wine.
Isn't that illegal in the US? I thought that a wine had to be 75% one variety before that variety could be mentioned on the front label?
Just out of interest I looked up what the Australian laws are on this and we would have to label the varieties in decending order on the label. If we wanted to label something as a single variety, it would have to be 85% of that variety but we aren't resticted. We certainly don't have that 75% rule though.
Several years ago, Miguel Champalimaud from Quinta do Cotto was the first to publicly blast CORK, both the industry and the product ... with some pretty negative comments on both. If you can find the article on that debacle, it makes this seem like eating a birthday cake on a rainy day.
