CHANDON OPTING NOT TO POP THE TOP

Cork taint: a familiar and controversial issue to all in the wine industry, driver of screwcaps and synthetics, and enough to give anyone a headache. In the champagne sector, however, cork taint is much more under the radar but equally as damaging – prompting two “New World” subsidiaries of the French Moët et Chandon champagne house to boldly discontinue cork closures for their top brands.

Both Green Point in Australia and Domaine Chandon of California have released premium sparkling wines with, believe it or not, crown seals (or bottle tops) to top their first-class bottles. New bottle packaging and in-your-face advertising will accompany the Chandon companies’ controversial move from the popping of the traditional cork to an actual bottle top.

Although wildly deviating from the norm, crown seals have been used as part of the second fermentation process for the past half century before the champagne/sparkling wine is traditionally sealed with a cork. The difference being, however, that crown seals are 100% effective at preventing cork taint.

Eye-catching labels, creative packaging, unusual titles – today’s average consumers like change and especially love choices. Innovation in the wine industry, it seems, is pushing sales and volume to unprecedented heights, and unusual closures, especially in sparkling wine which is virtually untouched, adds just one more interesting detail.