Month: April 2025

By: Alyssa L. Ochs

Wine closures are an often overlooked but crucial aspect of winemaking because they preserve wine’s taste, quality, and aging. The type of cork, screw cap, or capsule you choose for your bottles can impact oxidation, freshness, and contamination risks. Meanwhile, wine closures can also appeal to consumer preferences and further your business’ sustainability goals.

  To better understand what trends are shaping the wine closure industry today and the options available to wineries, we connected with three industry leaders working in this field. Guala Closures, Ramondin and Cork Supply shared helpful guidance and insider insights with The Grapevine Magazine to support best practices in the wine industry.

Guala Closures North America: Sustainable and Customizable Aluminum Screw Caps

  Guala Closures is a global leader in producing closures for spirits, wine, edible oil, water, and other beverages. With headquarters in Italy and a North American division based in Fairfield, California, it offers a range of screw caps and produces nearly three billion per year. Demand for aluminum screw caps has dramatically increased in recent years because of their convenience, customization potential, recyclability, and taste preservation capabilities.

  Dave Campbell, the general manager for Guala Closures North America, told The Grapevine Magazine that aluminum screw caps have been steadily growing in popularity because they have significant benefits in wine quality, convenience, and moderation factors.

  “Specifically, premium wine closures like Guala’s WAK or Savin, both internal thread, are growing fast,” Campbell explained. “These premium closures support a brand’s distinctive brand assets and stand out on a crowded wine shelf.”

  Campbell told us about how screw caps maintain a wine’s integrity and freshness with a seal free from cork taint.

  “It’s delivered to the consumer just as the wine maker intended,” he said. “There are also several screwcap options for increased oxygen ingress, allowing the closure to support age ability in a controlled environment.”

  He also noted how moderation is a key trend in today’s market and how screw cap closures support this by being easy and convenient to open, plus just as easy to reseal and take out the following night.

  Campbell shared that a common mistake wineries make regarding their closures is being restricted by history and tradition.

  “The future of the wine industry will be about how we attract new drinkers to the category with more sustainable, convenient lifestyle choices,” he said. “Closures and packaging are a key part of this purchase decision.”

  When asked about some of the most innovative things he’s seen in the wine closure industry lately, Campbell said his company is consistently challenged to develop new and different decoration options, such as full metallization closures.

  He shared, as an example, “The Wine Group’s Cupcake brand is leading the industry with consumer engagement by printing unique QR codes under each screwcap closure.”

  Meanwhile, sustainability is a big part of Guala Closures’ business. The company established comprehensive goals to reduce its carbon footprint by incorporating sustainable manufacturing practices and offering sustainable-focused products. 

  Its Sustainable Together 2030 program focuses on production using renewable energy, increasing its use of recycled aluminum and plastic and purchasing aluminum from low-carbon suppliers. Aluminum is generally a sustainable closure material because of its high recyclability, thereby reducing the demand for extracting new natural resources and conserving the environment.

  Guala has the largest network of closure manufacturing plants in the world. Campbell said that by working directly with Guala and identifying the quantity, artwork, and timing, Guala can create a production plan to meet your specific closure requirements.

  “From premium wine screwcaps made in California, to fully metallized closures made with modern technology in Europe, Guala’s global footprint has a solution for you,” he said.

Ramondin USA: Elegant Capsules for Brand Identity, Security and Sustainability

  Another industry leader is Ramondin, which has been manufacturing capsules since 1890. It leads the global capsule market and offers a complete portfolio of closure products for wine, champagne, and spirit bottles. For the wine industry, it provides one-piece capsules that are 100% recyclable and organic, suitable for any bottle neck and that use water-based inks.

  Ramondin USA is based in Napa, California and has worked alongside wineries since the 1990s. Jorge Gómez, Ramondin USA’s general manager, told The Grapevine about his company’s diverse portfolio that responds to wineries’ needs.

  “If a winery wants to elevate its packaging and reinforce a luxury image, tin capsules are the go-to,” Gómez said. “They’re elegant, fully recyclable and allow for intricate custom design. Polylaminate is great for brands that want a premium look with more flexibility on cost. For wineries focused on sustainability, we offer E-CAP, which is the first two-piece, plastic-free capsule in the market, and our Lite range, made to reduce material usage and carbon footprint without sacrificing quality.”

  Gómez said they are really excited about Inspiral, a new screw cap line, with implementation in the finalization stage in Napa right now.

  “It’s a smart answer to the growing demand for sustainable closures that don’t compromise on aesthetics and an alternative for high-rotation wines, following new trends in medium/low ranges and exports.”

  Working with Ramondin USA involves sitting down with the company to develop solutions tailored to specific bottling needs. Ramondin USA manufactures locally in Napa and handles everything from technical validation to design and delivery.

  Gómez mentioned that one big challenge in the wine capsule industry is sustainability because regulations quickly change, putting wineries under pressure to use eco-friendly processes and materials. Ramondin USA overcomes supply chain issues by having a U.S. plant. Yet another challenge is reaching the new-generation wine consumers who crave emotional connection, which they can get through interactive closures that tell stories.

  Sustainability is no longer an option in the industry—it’s an expectation. Gómez has noticed that more wineries want their closures to do more than just seal the bottles—they want them to reinforce their brand identity. In response, Ramondin USA has been exploring innovative materials and manufacturing processes to reduce its environmental impact and improve efficiency.

  “We’re already producing capsules that are lighter, plastic-free and more energy-efficient to make,” Gómez said. “Our Lite range, for instance, can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent in tin and 55 percent in the E-CAP. And all of it is done right here in Napa, which significantly lowers the carbon footprint tied to logistics.”

  Another vital aspect of Ramondin USA’s business is customization, which is one of Gómez’s favorite aspects of the job.

  “We’ve worked on everything from minimalist designs for boutique wineries to highly embossed, multi-color capsules for premium brands,” Gómez said. “Now we have relaunched an irregular side pattern that was specially made for a U.S. customer back in 1995 that tried to imitate the wax effect, and that has become trending for the market. Classics never die!”

  Ramondin USA helps wineries find the “sweet spot” between sustainability and functionality. In the next five to 10 years, Gómez expects to see wine closures become smarter, greener, and more integrated into the consumer experience.

  In addition to sustainability and brand identity, Gómez said, “Anti-counterfeiting and authentication will become non-negotiable. Premium brands need to protect their wines with secure and traceable packaging solutions.”

  He also predicted, “Premiumization will reach top levels. There will be an increased demand for high-end decorations to dress top tier wines, and tin is and will continue to be the solution for future of exclusive wines.”

Cork Supply: High-Tech Natural Corks That Minimize Environmental Impact

  However, the most classic wine closure is natural cork, which has been used for centuries and is still the most common type among wineries today. Cork Supply, a Harv 81 Group company, offers the most consistent natural corks in the market because of its patented and certified technology.

  Greg Hirson, Cork Supply’s global director of innovation, told The Grapevine how the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) affects wine’s long-term aging. He explained that oxygen plays a critical role in determining how a wine evolves in the bottle over time. For example, if oxygen ingress is too high, it can lead to premature oxidation, flattening the wine’s structure and diminishing its aromatic complexity. However, too little oxygen can result in reductive aromas and a lack of proper development.

  “Cork Supply’s Legacy Natural Cork addresses this challenge by offering unmatched consistency through its advanced X100 technology,” Hirson said. “X100 is a proprietary imaging system that scans the internal structure of each cork to assess its OTR and predict potential oxygen ingress, eliminating outliers that could negatively impact a wine’s aging potential. The X100 system, powered by AI and machine learning, draws on 12+ years of data to identify corks that could allow up to 10 times more oxygen ingress than desired. By removing these inconsistencies, Legacy ensures that every bottle maintains its intended profile, allowing winemakers to have confidence that their wines will age gracefully and predictably over time.”

  Hirson described how X100 technology significantly advances Cork Supply’s ability to control natural cork closures. It uses advanced imaging techniques, AI, and deep-learning algorithms to map the internal structure of natural corks. The AI software can predict oxygen ingress rates to identify and eliminate corks with anomalous OTR values that could compromise wine preservation.

  “Cork Supply invested €1.2 million in the development of X100, which has gained international recognition and multiple innovation awards at major industry trade shows, including SIMEI (Milan 2024), Vinitech (Bordeaux 2024), SIVAL (France 2025) and ENOMAQ (Spain 2025),” Hirson said. “Since its launch at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in January 2024, X100 has been hailed as a game-changer in ensuring consistent OTR rates and providing winemakers with greater confidence in the longevity and quality of their wines.”

  Hirson also told The Grapevine Magazine about VINC, a line of TCA taint-free, micro-agglomerated corks. He said VINC stands out from other micro-agglomerated corks because of Cork Supply high-quality raw materials and production processes. He explained that after the natural corks are punched, they use the remaining corkwood, which retains its premium structural and chemical properties, to create VINC closures.

  “This vertical integration ensures that the raw material is carefully managed from forest bottle, allowing for unmatched consistency, quality and performance,” Hirson said. “Additionally, VINC closures undergo the VAPEX® disinfection process, a proprietary method that eliminates any risk of TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) and guarantees sensory neutrality. As a result, VINC provides winemakers with a reliable, sustainable, and high-performing closure that combines the best attributes of natural cork with the consistency of micro-agglomerated technology.”

  Meanwhile, sustainability is also a top priority for Cork Supply. The company’s efforts to minimize its environmental impact are guided by a global strategy aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and built on the 3P Strategy: (1) people and communities, (2) products and innovation and (3) planet and operations.

  For example, Cork Supply has a zero-waste commitment. The company re-utilizes virtually 100 percent of harvested corkwood, converting cork dust into energy at a 99 percent recovery rate. Hirson also described how Cork Supply reduces its carbon footprint by curbing energy consumption through energy audits and investing in renewable energy sources.

  “A high-efficiency corkwood boiler system maximizes heat energy and water usage, while a solar photovoltaic system generates 35 percent of the company’s electricity needs,” he said.

  Cork Supply also collaborates closely with cork forest owners in Portugal and Spain. It develops estate rehabilitation plans to promote cork oak quality, combat pests and diseases, protect biodiversity and support conservation and local economies. By leveraging 100 percent of the raw material harvested, producing environmentally friendly products and investing heavily in R&D to develop sustainable technologies and packaging materials, Cork Supply promotes the circular economy.

  Although each type of wine closure has its own unique benefits, sustainability is clearly top-of-mind for everyone involved in this industry and a driving force in shaping future trends among today’s wineries.

By: Thomas J. Payette, Winemaking Consultant

Filtration can be a critical aspect of fine wine making. Many winemakers work hard getting their wines opulently clear, but do they understand what is happening and what the choices of filtration are?

  The Webster definition of “filter” is “A device containing a porous substance through which a liquid or gas can be passed to separate out suspended matter.”  In most instances, filtration is the physical removal of solid objects, in suspension, by way of a mechanical means.  In most cases, wine is forced through a filter media by way of positive pressure.  In only one case the author is aware a vacuum is used.

The Typical Types of Filtration are…

Plate and Frame:  One of the more common types of filtration one finds in the wine industry for large particle removal and its versatility by way of changing the filter pads to remove very small particle sizes down to 0.45 microns and potentially smaller.  Pads, mostly cellulose today, are installed between frames in the proper orientation and the unit is tightened down on the filter pads so leaking is minimal.  This type of filter uses positive pressure from a pump to physically push the wine through the filter pads.  A very versatile piece of equipment for the winery after the wine has been allowed to settle reasonably well in the wine vessels.  For “dirtier wines” and fast to market wines one may consider the DE filter descried below.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE):  A Diatomaceous Earth filter uses diatomaceous earth, similar to what one may find used in the swimming pool industry, as the filter media.  Stainless steel “screens” hold the DE on them, while positive pressure is exerted continuously, holding the DE in place to be the filter media.  A dosing pump will systematically add extra DE to the wine, upstream of the filter screens, to continuously add to the filter media.  If run properly, one may be able to filter substantial amounts of wine with few to no tear downs or much clogging.  The flow rates, if operated properly, will not be reduced significantly.  These filters do take time to learn how to run them and the media (DE) has some health concerns during its storage, use and as a waste product filter after use.  Please investigate these issues to make an informed decision should the choice to move forward with these types of units exist.

Lees Press:  This may be considered the largest pore size filter and most frequently used with juices during crush.  Diatomaceous Earth may be added to juice or wine lees and forced through canvass filter sheets.  Often the results are that muddy looking juices filter opulently clear, before fermentation, to provide a large economic return.  It is estimated that a winery of 3,000 cases or more of wine, made from white grapes, will benefit from these types of filters and pay for themselves, with proper use, within the first two years easily.  The cost of the DE is minimal and the rewards are great.  The one slight disadvantage is that this becomes another process to do during harvest when many processes require the winemaker’s attention.  If managed properly it becomes easily juggled during harvest and worth the winemaker’s while not to mention the wineries’ financial bottom line. This filter has the same DE health concerns mentioned above.

Cartridge:  These can range from large pore sizes to minute pore sizes and their surface area is not as easily adjusted as one may be able to do with a plate and frame as mentioned above.  This may be the only filter a smaller winery may have but as volumes get larger in the cellar one rapidly outgrows this type of filtration. Success is very much dependent on the style and age of the wine.  One advantage these filters have added to the industry is the ability to do a final polished filtration during bottling.  Because these filters are made largely for the pharmaceutical industry and have significant cost, it is recommended wineries obtain them for bottling and to re-sterilize them before each use.  This feature provides the most effective use of these filters and makes them highly cost effective. They should also be evaluated for their integrity if one is using them for “sterile bottling” as the industry knows it today.

Vacuum Drum: Typically used very much like the lees filter press above for “dirtier juices.”  For this reason, vacuum drum filters are used mostly with lees, raw juices, and racking bottoms.  This mode of action has a coating of Diatomaceous Earth on a large drum that spins while partially submerged in the liquid.  The liquid is sucked through the DE coating on the drum.  As the drum spins a large blade or knife cuts off the clogged portion of the DE revealing a clean layer of DE for filtration as the drum continues to spin into the juice or wine for uninterrupted continuous filtration.  The clean juice or wine after filtration exits the drum by way of a central tube in the center of the drum.  This filter has the same DE health concerns mentioned above.

Cross-flow:  Another up-and-coming filtration option for the wine maker.  It is sophisticated and proving very promising while becoming a potential mainstay in the industry.  In this case the filtrate and the filter media are moving in opposite directions, not perpendicular as in most other cases, while crossing over a barrier from one wine media to another.  The unfiltered wine continues to wash away the solids, known as the retentate, from the porous membrane. To continue to be current on this topic one should contact their sales representative.  Crossflow is especially useful for fruit wines, and it has no expendables such as DE or filter pads with little waste other than the solids that were removed.  From blind tasting trials the results of this filtration are often equal to other methods but not superior.

Centrifuge:  Worth mentioning, briefly, in this segment because it does offer clarification to a wine or juice by way of spinning the liquid, magnifying gravity, and forcing the particles out of solution.  This is not a filtration but it does offer a means to reduce solids, including yeast and bacteria, from the wine or juice.

  Every winemaker struggles with the question of how much one should filter and how tight of a pore size should be achieved.  Once the winemaker stands at the filter and an assessment is done, as a before and after application, one understands certain parts of the wine dissociate and/or become lost.  In some cases, this is temporary and in other cases this is permanent.  On the contrary, however, some wines “clean up” after filtration.  The wines become cleaner and purer tasting with more opulent clarity to the aroma and mouth feel.

  The pore size is often determined by analytical review linked back to bacteria and or yeast.  If a wine has not undergone a malo-lactic fermentation to completion most winemakers will use a 0.45 micron rated absolute filtration.  Absolute means all particles of that size or larger will be removed if operated properly.  If a wine has a residual fermentable sugar remaining many wine makers will once again use the 0.45 micron rated “sterile filter.”  Dry wines having gone through a complete malo-lactic fermentation will offer a potential to review a larger pore size filtration. 

  This is often desired because many winemakers feel it leaves more in the wine and therefore it is more pleasing to the consumer.  In many cases, a dry wine with a complete malo-lactic will only need a filtration down to 0.80 microns.  In this case, the winemaker is targeting the next largest potential threat and that may be Brettanomyces.  (Some more recent research has shown this may not be “absolute” at 0.80 micron and that a 0.65 micron may be needed).

Caution:  Many winemakers try their best to filter as little as possible and often with positive results.  Some go as far as no filtration with success.  The reader should be aware that a wine could go bad if no filtration is used and certain microbial risks are very large.  A wine that goes bad “on the consumer’s shelf” will offer a new meaning to most winemakers and their increasing desires to filter in the future if the problem is the result of a lack of filtration.

  Keep in mind to balance the possible brand damage against the safety of proper filtration.

  Filtration is a wonderful tool that previous winemaking generations were not fortunate enough to have.  Filtration is the number one tool to decrease cross-contamination in the wine cellar because each microbe must have an origination point.

  Filtration has been one of the best industry advancements for the winemaker because a certain amount of predictive control is placed in the winemaker’s hands as a tool allowing them to use less or fewer chemicals for the wine’s preservation.  

  Overall, filtration has enhanced wine quality to the consumer because fewer wines become spoiled after bottling.  Think of filtration in terms of bacteria/yeast removal and less for clarification; yet, it will assist both.

References: 

Amerine, M.A., Berg, H.W., Cruess,W.V. 1972. The Technology of Wine Making

Dharmadhikari, M.R., Wilker, K.L. 2001. Micro Vinification.

Zoecklein, B.W., Fugelsang, K.C., Gump, B.H., and Nury, F.S. 1999. Wine Analysis and Production

Verbal discussion with Mr. Jacques Boissenot, Mr. Jacques Recht, Dr. Ralf Kunkee, Mr. Joachim Hollerith and Mr. Chris Johnson.