Let's Recap - Summer 2022

Catherine Fontinha, Head of Marketing at Amcor Capsules

Dear readers,

It is a great honor for me to open this issue dedicated to the myths surrounding screw caps. Believe me, the least we can say is that this subject fascinates me!

Let me give you some background: where I come from, cork is a national treasure... 5 years ago, when I told my friends and family my decision to dedicate myself to the marketing and development of the screw cap industry, they were the first to be surprised! Each one of us was passionnate about wine and happened to know quite a bit about it, but drinking a wine poured out a screw-top bottle? The very idea was unthinkable!

To be honest, I had some preconceptions myself, and had to remain open-minded to see beyond the clichés. As I have stated previously, I always had a particular affinity for product marketing. I therefore started with what I consider to be the basis of my profession: going on the field. I started by going to meet the winemakers, by building the product together, understanding its mechanics and its advantages, all while putting aside the ceremonial opening of the bottle with its traditional corkscrew.

This is how I realized something quite basic: many people have a simplistic view of screw caps and do not really understand what they are and how they work. This is due to the traditional beliefs that remain on older markets, of course, but also to a lack of information. To challenge this, the key is to convey a simple message explaining the possibilities offered by this small, yet crucial packaging item. In fact, beyond its sealing properties and the control of oxygen permeability allowed by its liner, many people are still unaware of the full decorative dimension available on a screw cap. Thermochromic inks, "soft touch", diverse and varied shapes, textures, four-color printing... The possibilities are endless. You often hear certain myths like "screw caps? The look cheap." However, screw caps are one of the most innovative bottle sealing solutions, not only enabling the most creative marketing ideas, but also brands’ needs for premiumization.

If today, 5 years after my beginnings at Amcor, I still hear some alarming comments (what can you say, traditions are hard to break!), real changes are happening, and I’m delighted. Of course there will always be detractors, and we still need to educate people on this subject, particularly sommeliers and enologists from certain Europeean countries, but the change is here, and is undeniable. Indeed, in 2021, the marketing for screw caps on the off-trade stood at 35% in Europe.

If my arguments have not convinced you yet, maybe the practical aspects will. Indeed, if there were only few winemakers opting for screw cap at its beginning, it today looks like the latter delights more than one, even on traditional markets like France, Spain or Italy. Thus, I think everyone should taste high-ends wine bottled with screw caps: the flavor and the respect of the aromas are simply impressive. Quite an enjoyable way to challenge your beliefs, don’t you think?

To help you with that matter, this edition will be an opportunity to discover some examples of spectacular vintages closed with screw caps.

Before leaving you, let me simply wish you an enjoyable tasting (or rather reading) of this issue.

See you soon,

Catherine Fontinha Head of Marketing at Amcor Capsules