Zork pops into the US

The Zork closure, which seals a bottle like a screwcap but pops like a cork, is now being made in the US. The move gives more American wineries the option to use Zork as these closures are being manufactured for US bottle specifications rather than European.

The closure, which was developed in Australia to help solve the problem of cork taint and random oxidation associated with natural corks, is made of three parts. A plastic cap snaps over the mouth of the bottle, inside it is a plunger that creates the pop on extraction and, between these two, aluminium foil provides the important oxygen barrier. Although more expensive to produce than a screwcap, it tends to age wine much more like a good quality, very consistent cork, according to Zork’s technical director John Brooks.

The closure has several advantages. For a start, you don’t need a corkscrew. Also bottles don’t need to be stored on their side because the seal isn’t dependent on the wine being in contact with it, unlike with natural cork. The Zork will also reseal the wine for convenience in between pouring, although not for airtightness.

Several wineries in the US have already adopted the closure. Don Sebastiani & Sons in California is using it for several of its brands, while Deerfield Ranch Winery has recently bottled its 2006 Sauvignon Blanc under Zork.