Screw-caps gained ground in terms of affinity in both the US and Australian wine markets, while the US wine market retains a different attitude, with the majority of consumers remaining loyal to natural cork, according to Closures Trends in the UK, USA and Australia Wine Intelligence report 2014.
 
According to the report, 55% of respondents in Australia say they like buying wines with screw-cap closures compared with 38% opting for natural cork.
 
The affinity levels in the UK show screw-cap and natural cork level on about 40%, while in the US only 21% say they like buying wine with screw-cap to 64% who like natural cork.
 
The discrepancy in the US is thought to be closely correlated with frequency of usage: over 70% of consumers in the UK and Australia report buying wine with a screw-cap over the past four weeks.
 
The latest data confirms that consumers still associate natural cork with premium wines in all three markets, with the greatest differential found among American drinkers. In the US market the average expected price of wine sealed with natural cork is $15.85, versus $9.42 for wine sealed with a screw cap.
 
Richard Halstead, COO of Wine Intelligence, said: “This year’s data suggests that screw- cap has consolidated its hold as the industry standard closure in the UK and Australia, but also confirms that Americans still have quite a different attitude.
 
“There is some evidence that screw-cap is making inroads in the USA, with 42% of consumers saying they have bought a screw-cap wine in the past four weeks, but it seems that a significant minority of consumers remain unconvinced about the closure’s merits, or its place on wines they would normally drink.”