How to store bottles with a Stelvin screwcap

Sorry if this looks like rubbish, but I'm having to use google these days thanks to my inexpensive broadband connection having no news server. I dropped out of this for a couple of years as a result (though my almost 2-year old daughter might have a bit more to do with that).

Tom is correct here - damage to the seal around the top will stuff the seal. As a winemaker, I generally prefer screwcaps (and buy accordingly), but this is one of the real issues I have with them compared to cork.

Having said that, we stack them 3 pallets high, with 64 cases to a pallet. So I think that under most static loads they will survive fine. But please protect them from being whacked on the edge. Most new screwcaps are applied with "redraw" which is the additional "step" you see in the top, where the top wad is actually bent over the edge of the bottle. This increases the seal contact area, so they are more resilient than earlier (usually pre-2002) screwcaps.

While I'm on the issue of cork vs screwcap, you are likely to see a major advertising attack by the cork companies picturing their product as environmentally friendly etc. They don't tell you that only 15% of all cork production is used for wine, and that the environmental cost of ruining 6% of all wine with corks in has to be higher than replacing their 50c corks with a 15c screwcap. (Australian dollar costs here).

Cheers,