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p r a c t i c a l w i n e r y & v i n e ya r d d e c e M B e r 2 0 1 4 69 W I N E M A K I N G Wines on the right (PC1) show higher levels of devel- opment, specifically with Port/bruised apple aroma and higher brown color. These wines also display higher lev- els of the dark fruit and cooked fruit attributes, and are corre- lated weakly with higher wine color density, hue and OTR. The wines on the left exhibit lower levels of the developed attributes but higher levels of the medicinal/pine attribute, which is an inherent attribute of the base wine. Wines under screwcaps and technical corks are closely grouped together, but wines under the natural cork and alternative closures show marked differences in development. Significant impact The ongoing closure trials highlight that closure choice can have a significant impact on wine aroma and flavor, with the degree of variability be- tween closure manufacturers being much greater for some closure styles than others. It is also clear that develop- ment of sulfidic compounds in wine is a particularly complex and non-linear process. Levels of these compounds progress through major peaks and val- leys during time in bottle. In- terestingly, the magnitude of these changes at some points during the wine's life can be greater than the difference introduced by the choice of closure. These trials are a reminder that it is important, at a mini- mum, to understand closure OTR and its potential impact on flavor development, gen- eration of undesirable volatile sulfur compounds and shelf life. It is true that closure perfor- mance is not the only factor that determines how a wine will develop in bottle, with wine composition, metal content and production history all contrib- uting. However, the differences in the performance of different closures (even those of the same style from different manufac- turers) can have a significant impact on the wine, and choice of packaging is therefore an im- portant decision for the future of the wine. The red wine closure trial is still in progress, with wines currently undergoing testing after 36 months in bottle. PWV This article presents an over- view of the general trends seen in the AWRI's most recent com- mercial red and white wine clo- sure trials. The full trial results highlight the significant differ- ences between closures from different manufacturers and styles and are available to the commercial contributors of each trial. The red wine closure trial is still in progress, with testing after 36 months in bottle re- cently completed. Those who are interested in accessing data from this trial should contact AWRI Commercial Services at commercialservices@awri.com. au or +61 8 8313 6600. This text has been edited from original publication in the March 2014 Australian & New Zea- land Grapegrower & Wine- maker with the permission of the publisher, winetitles. CALL FOR ENTRIES COMPETITION DEADLINES EARLYBIRD: January 23, 2015 $50 FINAL: January 30, 2015 $75 Celebrating the distinctive regional differences in the wines of the Californias. • Highly qualifed judges from the restaurant industry, wine distributors, wine buyers, and media. • Marketing exposure to more than 1.4 million attendees of the fourth largest fair in North America, the San Diego County Fair. • Award medallions and digital art for the best wines from each county and/or multi-county appellations. • Purchase of the top- performing wines to be served during the 25- day Fair and the 8-week world-class Del Mar Thoroughbred Horse Races. OUR COMPETITION OFFERS: Entry materials available now online at www.thetoastofthecoast.com sponsored in part by Practical Winery library.com Single-subject articles on a wide range of topics PracticalWinery library.com