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August 2016 WINES&VINES 37 PACKAGING That doesn't, however, limit their selec- tions when it comes to capsules and closures. Wines & Vines spoke with an assortment of winemakers at top-flight wine producers, asking them to explain why they seal their bottles with different types and styles of clo- sures and capsules. Our team of winemaking experts included Jeff Cichocki of Bonterra Organic Vineyards; Kevin Willenborg from Vina Robles Vine- yards & Winery; Kristin Belair of Honig Vine- yard & Winery; Ken Foster from Mahoney Vineyards; Charles Tsegeletos of Cline Cel- lars, and Damian Grindley from Brecon Es- tate Vineyards. Each of these winemakers bottles wines under more than one type of closure, and each had a different story to tell about the choices they make and how they do it. It's not random "You have to match your closure to your wine. It's not random," said Belair, wine- maker at Napa's 75,000-case Honig. Honig wines, which sell for an average of $27 per bottle, are sealed with natural and synthetic corks, plus "a little screwcap for custom or- ders," Belair said. "For our wines, we don't use screwcaps. We'd have to change our winemaking style." Honig has used Nomacorc synthetic clo- sures "for years," Belair said. "We do trials, and that takes time. For long-aging reds, you have to look four to five years out" to assess oxygen transfer and other variables. Honig's natural corks are sourced from Scott Labs. The winery has not yet fully tri- aled the newest natural corks, which suppli- ers advertise as guaranteed to be TCA-free. "Natural corks are a different animal. They are very expensive; decent corks may cost 70 cents (each) or more," Belair said. As a prudent winemaker, she is always concerned about costs. "What's going into the bottle, what's going out. It depends on the wine price point," Belair said. She noted that Nomacorcs are now avail- able with chamfered (slightly tapered) ends, addressing earlier concerns that synthetics are difficult to reinsert after the bottle has been opened. "We sell a lot of Sauvignon Blanc. Natural corks are also hard to put back in, depending how long they've been in the bot- tle," she said. Belair's eye on the bottom line continues to the capsules, which Honig sources from Mav- erick. "They are a relatively local and sustain- able business," she said. Maverick also has pioneered capsule décor (see "The Multi-Layered Capsule Business" on page 40). Honig orders decorated polylam capsules with an embossed top logo (Honig means 'honeybee' in German), a gold band and side print on the skirt. Belair said that the capsule décor can be important in wine racks: "It's nice to have something identifiable, anything helping peo- ple find what they're looking for. It's also a more pulled together look." Challenging choices Bonterra Organic Vineyards in Mendocino County, Calif., is a 350,000- to 450,000-case brand of giant Fetzer Vineyards. Bonterra KEY POINTS Mid-size, premium-priced wineries have embraced a variety of closure and capsule options. Screwcaps are often favored for white wines, but natural, technical and synthetic corks vie for red wine coverage. Oxygen transmission, wine price point, cost and changing market demands fuel winemaker decisions. Wineries may trial closures over the course of years, but many remain loyal to their suppliers.