Henschke Hill of Grace under screw cap

I wonder what my former colleagues at the wine investment fund would say to Henschke bottling its 2005 Hill of Grace under screw-cap. In fact, I probably know and the result would be Hill of Grace being struck off the list of fund options.

Not because it's Australian, or because it's not expensive enough, but because it has now descended to the screw-cap. This type of closure would, I suspect, be seen as denigrating to the wine and a likely confirmation that Hill of Grace was never worthy enough anyway.

The debate on screw-cap seems to go in circles, and with screw-cap being associated with cheap, easing drinking wines, most new world wines in Europe are labelled as such.

At a recent Pinot Noir seminar I attended in Italy, the international pinot evening saw more than one person turn their nose up at New Zealand pinots bottled under screw-cap. Only some more discerning drinkers were prepared to consider it viable, seeing the practical benefits and the commercial benefits, too.

I suspect with a Hill of Grace endorsement, the international market may slowly come to realise that screw-cap is a kind of quality control; a mark that a wine's quality is in tact, rather than an indication of cheap, un-ageable wines not destined for the cellar.

For more information and an interesting comparison on screw-cap and corks, complete with tasting notes, see The Age. Thanks to Ian from the OzWine group for the tip.