Amcor celebrates 60 years since launching world’s first screwcap

Amcor was the first to introduce a screwcap product for wine when it launched its Stelvin range in 1964. Sixty years on, the closures firm looks back at that milestone moment.

When Amcor Capsules pioneered its Stelvin aluminium screwcap range for wine in 1964, it was to answer a very specific problem.

Swiss winemakers were experiencing challenges due to the Swiss grape variety Chassela being particularly sensitive to cork taint, and Amcor, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, decided to face the issue head on.

The team at Amcor worked on developing a solution that would preserve the aromas, freshness, taste and quality of a wine, while providing optimal preservation, without the need for a cork.

At the time, no other screwcaps were available in the market. And it wasn’t until 2001 that ‘The Screwcap Initiative’ kicked off in New Zealand, which led to the more widespread use of screwcaps as a wine bottle closure (today 90% of wines in New Zealand and Australia use screwcap).

Unsurprisingly, Switzerland was the first country to adopt Amcor’s Stelvin product, but by the early 200s customers included the likes of Domaine Laroche, which has vineyards in Chablis and the Languedoc. Since then, the brand has gained momentum in other key markets, with the brand present in more than 40 countries.

“When it comes to screwcaps, Stelvin is a benchmark for Laroche,” said Florence Chamon, head of quality for Domaine Laroche, in Chablis and Béziers. The French producer uses Stelvin on a number of its single-varietal wines in Bourgogne, and in villages such as Petit Chablis and Chablis.

“We’re delighted to celebrate this 60-year anniversary milestone,” said Yannick Magnon, general manager of Amcor Capsules. “When the Stelvin screwcap was invented, we were the first to partner with winemakers to help them swap their methods of bottle closures, which was seen as a revolution at the time. Like all innovators, Stelvin was the result of the knowledge and expertise of our teams.”

Since the inaugural Stelvin product extensions of the line have followed, including the introduction of Stelvin Lux (a closure without external threading) and Stelvin Inside (a choice of PVDC-free liners with different oxygen transmission rates).

Last October, Amcor Capsules revealed that its entire Stelvin 30H60 aluminium screwcap range for wine and spirits brands now emits up to 35% less carbon emissions compared to a standard screwcap produced with European aluminium sheets.