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2006-05-14 News Headlines

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First commercial use of new Alcoa glass wine closures

Whitehall Lane Winery selects new Alcoa Vino-Seal glass closures, an alternative to traditional corks and synthetic wine stoppers, for its 2003 reserve cabernet bottling.

Whitehall Lane, a small, family owned winery in Napa Valley's Rutherford appellation, California, is the first winery in the world to seal its bottles of select premium wines with the Alcoa developed Vino-Seal* closure, an elegant glass closure for wine bottles secured by a traditional tin capsule. This is the first commercial use of this new glass closure designed by Alcoa's Closure Systems International (CSI) business as an alternative to traditional corks and synthetic stoppers for the wine market. The innovative sealing system was used to top 45,000 bottles of Whitehall Lane premium 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 3,000 bottles of its premium 2003 Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Find more information about Whitehall Lane Winery.

Alcoa's new glass and acrylic closures provide attractive alternatives to corks and synthetic stoppers.

A stopper with an o-ring seal is applied to the bottle and closed with an aluminum overcap, which provides tamper evidence. Click Go for larger image. photo: Alcoa CSI

The elegant new closure looks like a decorative decanter stopper, and it is recyclable. Made with flexible o-rings, the stopper provides a sterile seal, preventing contamination or oxidation. An aluminum overcap and traditional neck sleeve will ensure mechanical protection and tamper evidence. Whitehall Lane owner Thomas Leonardini says "The glass stopper makes perfect sense. It is attractive, functional and eliminates the problems associated with natural cork."

With a design similar to a decorative decanter stopper, Vino-Seal was developed as an alternative to traditional wine stoppers. It provides an ideal seal ensuring the wine retains its purity of flavor and aroma. Vino-Seal uses an inert o-ring to provide a sterile seal, preventing contamination or oxidation.

Vino-Seal is the U.S. cousin of the Vino-Lok* 'glass on glass' wine closure also developed by Alcoa CSI in Germany, which is currently being used by 350 wineries throughout Europe to top their premium wines and some for European wineries that provide wines to Lufthansa. "The only difference between the two glass stoppers is that Vino-lok uses an aluminum cover cap, while Vino-Seal uses a tin capsule, which is more in line with North American wine packaging," said Laura Clark, Adult Beverage Marketing Manager, Alcoa CSI.

Find more information about Alcoa Closure Systems International, Inc.

Alcoa Closure Systems International, Inc. -Alcoa CSI- is one of the business units within the Packaging Group of Alcoa Inc. Alcoa CSI participates in three integrated business segments or divisions:

. Plastic and aluminum closures
We produced over 68 billion closures worldwide in 2003.

. Packaging Equipment
We design and build high speed capping equipment for customers in each market segment.

. Technical Service
Our global network of Systems Engineers and Field Service Representatives provide bottlers with unmatched applications support.

Benefits of Vino-Seal

There are several benefits to adopting the Vino-Seal glass wine closure. The two Whitehall Lane Cabernets will develop more slowly in the Vino-Seal bottle than in a traditional cork sealed bottle giving it longer aging potential. "However, the greatest benefit is that the possibility of cork taint ruining the bottle aged with a Vino-Seal closure system is zero," said Leonardini. "And, the bottle can also be safely aged standing up."

Vino-Seal is also easy to open - no corkscrew needed. Simply cut or score the foil around the bottom of the drip ring bead on the bottle, then pull out the stopper. With this new idea, there also comes a second advantage: It is resealable. The contents of already opened bottles can now be sealed easily over and over again. In addition, the decorative stopper appeals to the aesthetic demands of connoisseurs.

Whitehall Lane winemaker Dean Sylvester has worked with Alcoa for more than two years researching and evaluating the glass closure. "Bottling went very smoothly, and the wine is showing beautifully," he said. Sylvester and Alcoa will continue to evaluate the aging of the 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. "As a winemaker, I'm excited to see how the wine evolves," Sylvester said, "If all goes as expected, we will expand the program to incorporate more of our wines."

The 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon will retail for $75 and is currently available at the winery, wine shops and fine restaurants throughout the United States. The 2003 Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon will retail for $100 and will be released in Fall 2006.

Vino-Seal is the first U.S. product in a portfolio of wine closures that Alcoa CSI is developing as an alternative to traditional wine stoppers.

The package for the 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon uses Alcoa's Vino-Seal closure in conjunction with a specifically designed bottle from Encore Glass. The capsule was made by River Cap USA.

* Vino-Seal and Vino-Lok are registered trademarks of Alcoa Closure Systems International, Inc.

Read a recent press release from Alcoa Packaging about - 'Alcoa, a technological leader in materials used for packaging and consumer products, has appointed Paul Thomas, 49, to Executive Vice President and Group President.'

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