Zork signs Tesco deal to bring re-sealable top to UK sparkling wines
The idea behind the closure, which is venturing outside Australia for the first time, is to make it easier to open sparkling wines and conserve their bubbles for longer.
“This is great news for customers who are just looking to enjoy the odd glass of sparkling wine as Zork keeps the bubbles in the bottle for more than a week,” said Tesco beer wines and spirits category director Dan Jago.
Tesco is initially rolling out the cap for four of its sparkling wines but intends to increase that number over time. Although current regulations only allow corks, the UK supermarket plans to eventually use the new closures on champagne and cava products.
A spokesperson for Tesco said the supermarket is in talks with the regulation bodies responsible for champagne and cava to open up the market to alternative closures.
Pressurised cork fear
Talking about the potential of the new top, Tesco said it is likely to be a big hit with women who want to side step the trauma that can accompany the act of opening a bottle of sparkling wine.
“We know from research that some women have a fear of opening sparkling wines because of the pressurised cork so this innovation will ultimately give them greater control,” said Jago.
The new plastic closure, which Tesco said is 100 per cent recyclable, has four separate components:
- A cap with a tamper proof band
- A collett with a spring loading pin allowing it to lock onto a standard wine bottle
- A foil which is a gas barrier keeping air out and gas in
- A seal which prevents leaking under extreme, high pressure conditions
