As wine counterfeiting in export markets increases, the Australian wine industry welcomes a new tamper-evident screw-cap closure developed by Guala Closures Group. Lindy Hughson reports.
The Australian wine market, the greatest adopter of screw-cap closures in the world, is set to benefit from yet another closure innovation from Guala Closures Group. Hot on the heels of the company’s launch of a screw-cap closure for sparkling wine (see F&DB June 2012), Guala is using Australia as a test market for its new tamper-evident wine closure known as the Roll-On TE.
Integrated in the metal screw cap closure is a plastic, coloured band that is released when the screw cap is opened, and remains visible when the closure is resealed. Guala has invested in a custom-built closure manufacturing line which is installed at the company’s plant in Melbourne.
Simon Yudelevich, sales and marketing manager Guala Closures Australia, told F&DB there is “zero barrier to adoption” for the customer. The closures can be integrated seamlessly into the customer’s existing wine bottling line without the need for any equipment changes. He said the patented closure had undergone extensive trials at the Australian Wine Research Institute and was now in the commercialisation phase.
A driver for the closure development, he said, was the growing concern over wines being tampered with, particularly in export markets in Asia.
Premium wine producers looking to take advantage of growth potential in China – the world’s fastest growing wine market – would likely be considering some sort of brand protection. It’s estimated that within a couple of years, China will be the sixth biggest consumer of wine, but judging by news reports on the extent of fake wine trafficking in the region, it’s also the biggest market for counterfeit wines.
Even if wines aren’t destined for export, Yudelevich believes there’s value in using the closure to make a strong statement about the value of a wine and the brand.
“The winemaker is saying it’s a brand worth protecting,” he said. “The Roll-On TE seal gives Australian winemakers an opportunity to differentiate their brands in both local and global markets, important at a time when there’s increased competition in the export market from other new world wines like those from Chile and South Africa.”
Clare Valley winemaker Tim Adams is the first to launch the closure on three of his wines: 2012 Pinot Gris; 2009 Riesling; and 2009 Shiraz (pictured).
Adams told F&DB that the winery chose Guala Closures as its preferred supplier of screw caps some years ago.
“Guala’s commitment to developing this breakthrough technology gives the company the edge in the expanding world-wide market for screw-cap closures,” he said.
“The tamper evident cap guarantees the integrity of the wine by clearly demonstrating whether the bottle has been opened.
“Further, the use of the cap gives a means of proving that the wine is indeed what it claims to be; source of origin and winemaker are ensured.”
Adams said the winery would be changing all of its production to this cap in time.
