Screwcap wine: Best summer picks
There's no need for a corkscrew with these summer screwcap wine picks. Decanter's experts have selected their favourite wines sealed with a screwcap to enjoy in the sunshine, so all you have to do is find the perfect picnic spot and unscrew.
With the recent spike in good weather, nothing quite tops enjoying a glass of wine al fresco in the sunshine – but what if you forget to bring a corkscrew to your picnic or barbecue?
Screwcap wine is the solution, and below we road-test some top summer screwcap choices, all chosen by Decanter’s experts.
Scroll down for our screwcap wine recommendations
For a time screwcaps were dismissed by cork-loving traditionalists, but that’s no longer the case. The new world – particularly New Zealand and Australia – led the way by introducing screwcap wines to supermarket and wine merchant’s shelves, and have demonstrated the closure’s benefits to the wider world for over two decades.
It’s the perfect closure for retaining freshness in aromatic white wines that are made to drink soon after bottling – think Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, both of which feature below.
Certain modern screwcaps can allow precise amounts of oxygen into a wine, making them great for ageing red wines that would traditionally have required a cork, all without any risk of TCA (‘cork taint’) from the closure.
And best of all? They’re quick and easy to open (and reclose!) and require nothing but a spare hand.
Best screwcap wine for summer:
See also:
Bag in box wine: What to buy and why
Best Provence rosés for under £20/$30
Picnic wine recommendations for the summer
Storing screw cap bottles – ask Decanter
Should you put ice cubes in wine?
Kaapzicht, Kliprug Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2020
Another rendition of old-vine Chenin from the Stellenbosch property that also produces The 1947, the vineyard in this instance planted in 1982. Pretty perfume, with...
2020
Kaapzicht
Loveblock, Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2020
91
Appealing musky pear-drop aromas lead on to a just-dry palate of juicy tinned peaches and pears. The creamy, quite weighty mouthfeel is nicely balanced by flinty mineral acidity, giving a gentle but succulent wine that would be delicious with roast pork.
2020
Loveblock
Jim Barry, The Lodge Hill Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2019
91
<p>Jim's son Peter and grandson Tom are the master craftsmen at this multi-awarded winery, known particularly for sublime Riesling and Shiraz. This bottling is a familiar face on the UK high street and a great-value buy. It's classic Clare in flavour: steely, crisp and vibrant, packed with tangy lime, jasmine blossom and nectarine sweetness on the finish.</p>
2019
Jim BarryClare Valley
Balfour Winery, Balfour Liberty's Bacchus, Kent, England, United Kingdom, 2019
90
Vibrant Bacchus with zesty aromas of lime, gooseberry and mango. Wild-fermented and with a touch of oak, that lends a creaminess to the palate, alongside juicy lime, tropical mango and passionfruit, all buoyed by brisk, bright acidity. Finishes long with juicy citrus and a touch of spice.
2019
Balfour WineryKent
Morrisons, The Best South African Sauvigon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa, 2019
90
Golden hued, with zesty red chilli, asparagus, freshly cut grass and passion fruit on the nose. An exotic palate of reserved peach can, papaya and pineapple with white pepper spices. A distinctive, tropical take on the Sauvignon Blanc grape from the Western Cape.
2019
Morrisons
Emiliana, Organic Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile, 2019
90
From one of Chile's leading organic producers, this tasty Chardonnay is a great addition to the online shop. Lime-spiked papaya and stone fruit flavours fill the mid-weight palate through to a creamy, toasted hazelnut finish. It's not overly complex, but offers enjoyable, refreshing drinking at a great price.
2019
Emiliana
Aldi, Specially Selected, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine, Sur Lie, Loire, France, 2019
89
Aldi's Specially Selected seasonal French white range is a cracker. The Crémant du Jura, Sancerre, Mâcon-Villages, Chablis and Alsace Pinot Gris all are worth their modest prices of £7.49-£13.99, but this Muscadet is a steal. From Chassaux et Fils, it has a creamy, leesy texture and crisp flavours of lemon juice, wet stones and a saline tang. Delicious with a fish pie.
2019
AldiMuscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine
Waitrose, Rosé, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France, 2018
88
<p>Red berry aromas and succulent fruit, sweet spice, earth and delicate mineral notes make this a great gastronomic wine.</p>
2018
WaitroseCôtes de Provence
Artisan Wines, Zweigelt Reserve, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland, Austria, 2018
Attractive, inviting and very complex nose displaying lifted ripe cherries, blackberries, fine herbs, fruitcake, chocolate, sweet spices, earth and black olives. The layered palate shows...
2018
Artisan WinesNeusiedlersee
Neudorf, Tom's Block Pinot Noir, Nelson, New Zealand, 2017
91
Nelson isn't as famous as some other regions in New Zealand for Pinot Noir, but Neudorf is a top name there. Owners Tim and Judy Finn have produced a beautiful wine here, great value for a NZ Pinot at this level. It has some age, but the bright red fruit is still there in abundance, with structure and complexity, and some forest floor character behind. The wine has spent 10 months in French oak, 20% new. Aromatic, focused and linear, it's a food-friendly wine that you'll find it hard to resist pouring another glass of.
2017
Neudorf
Larry Cherubino, Ad Hoc Cruel Mistress Pinot Noir, Western Australia, Australia, 2019
90
Fruit for this ripe and seductive style of Pinot Noir was sourced from selected vineyards in the Great Southern region. After fermentation (part wild fermentation), the wine was aged for six months in one- to three-year-old French oak barrels. Dark in colour compared to some Pinots, this has fleshy black cherry and plum fruit flavours, and some spicy oak.
2019
Larry Cherubino
Marks & Spencer, Found País, Itata Valley, Chile, 2019
89
It's great to see Chile rediscovering this historic grape, introduced by Spanish conquistadors, especially as its soft acidity and cherry-berry profile produces such an easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing style. Made by Indómita, this isn't overly complex, but there's lots to like from the sweetly ripe, lightly spiced red fruit.
2019
Marks & Spencer
