The Australian wine industry has made several attempts over the years to move away from using cork. The reason for this is simple... Something like 5% of corks are tainted with a musty, mouldy character which gets into the wine and ruins it. There is no way to check each and every cork beforehand, so we have just had to put up with it. Earlier attempts at introducing screw caps were met with customer resistance and had to be dropped. Things have changed over the past decade, with a dramatic increase in consumer understanding and interest in wine, so the industry has been much better placed to put forwards the reasons for introducing screw caps. I think this is the reason for the rapid uptake of the technology this time. The good news is that wines do age well under screw cap. Corks are pretty much an impermeable seal and any oxygen permeating throughout the cork should play an imperceptible part in the wines development. What recent work has shown however, is that natrual cork and some of the plastic cork alternatives, soak up significant amounts of aromatic compounds found in fresh young wine and also those aromas created as the wine ages. Screw caps are inert and soak up none of these compounds, leaving the wines fresher and more vibrant. A few years ago I attended a tasting of old Clare Valley Rieslings. Most were under cork and in various states of repair. However, two wines from the late 70's were from one of the earlier attempts at launching screw caps and were simply stunning. They had a marvelous balance and harmony of fresh fruit and developed flavours. I was sold on screw caps then and there. I know it is a shame to throw away the corkscrew, but if the result is the end of tainted wine and better ageing, then I think we just have to be brave and let go.