New Sparkler closure. What do you think?

WINE TALK
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Love it! This will help bring more casual drinkers to the Champagne buying base.
Hate it! This cheapens the Champagne experience, bringing it down to Andre levels.

Yes, I want it both ways, I’m a Gemini, get over it! [cheers.gif]

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What’s the difference between this and just having a crown top and using an old fashioned opener? Yep, it’s cool - you don’t need a ‘tool’ . . . but isn’t that ‘popping’ sound the same as you would get the other way as well?!?!?

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Maybe it’s resealable? That would be cool. ANYTHING to get rid of corks!

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Not sure what to think about this. [shrug.gif]

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Can it still be sabered? That’s all that matters, you know.

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A lot of folks in Champagne are watching this closely as the closure has tested wonderfully in terms of keeping wine fresh (crown caps have been used in mass for the second fermentation since the 60s and have been very reliable since the early 70s), but consumer acceptance has never really tested well. To me, nothing new about this other than a bottle opener attached to the bottle. Chandon’s Etoile line has been using crown caps for a while only they packaged the opener separate and along with the bottle rather than on it. Lots of other crown cap bubblies exist too, but this is the first Champagne. I hope it does well with consumers, but we will have to see as traditions die hard sometimes.

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Brad, have you been following the Prosecco Doc / Docg scandal? Basically, all the crap IGT Prosecco will now be DOC so there can be some token limits on yields and all the quality DOC Valdobiadenne, Conegliano and Colle Asolani stuff will be kicked upstairs to DOCG.

Unintended consequence: Crown caps (which HAVE been catching on for Frizzante bottlings previously under spago) will be illegal as the DOCG prohibits them.

ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

We have made a nice little brand out of one “over there, the one with the bright orange Coke bottle top…” and now they are going to change the packaging AGAIN.

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The problem is Champagne only pops if you open it incorrectly. How are you supposed to open these things with the classic ‘nun fart’ pffffft ?

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Roberto,

I have been following it, but not super close, at first I thought the IGT Prosecco would be forced to use a different name for the Prosecco grape and that they would attempt to turn Prosecco into more of a region with DOC and DOCG status. Things seem to change so fast, it is hard for me to tell exactly what the final results will be.

I don’t get the problem people have with crown caps. They are proven to work on even the best wines. You can engineer them differently for different cuvees so that they evolve as you want or as consumers expect. Cork has its place and I like the Mytik Diamant closure, but research has shown that crown caps are equal or better for aging and equal or better for quality control.

I love cork and don’t really care how my bottle is sealed as you can do some cool experiments with cork (like toasting them and aging the bottles on the lees with a toasted cork… very variable results, but when you get a good one… wow). What I don’t get is why you would want to outlaw a closure. Let the consumers decide.