Tesco Introduces Resealable Solution for Sparkling Wine

Tesco hopes that soon its champagnes and cavas will also use the Zork but at the moment there are regulations governing the production of each of these which stipulate that only corks can be used as sealants.

Oct 12 2010 --- A revolutionary new re-sealable top for sparkling wine is to be launched in the UK by Tesco tomorrow.

The breakthrough means that from now on anyone fancying a glass of sparkling wine won’t have to worry about the rest of the bottle going flat as the new device will totally reseal it.

The top, called Zork, is the third major innovation launched by Tesco to revolutionise the wine industry and help customers.

Earlier this year the supermarket brought out new super lightweight bottles and in 2002 it introduced the first screw cap tops for wine.

Said Tesco Beer Wines and Spirits category director Dan Jago: “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.

“And because the bottle can now be perfectly re-sealed we believe the innovation will introduce more people to sparkling wine.

“The Zork top is not only safe and easy to use but also retains the satisfying pop, as well as the sense of celebration and ceremony associated with opening a bottle of sparkling wine.

“And there’s further good news as it 100 per cent recyclable and can be used to reseal other similar bottles.”

The Zork, which is made of plastic contains four separate components which are:

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 high quality gas barrier keeping air out and gas in
A seal which prevents leaking under extreme, high pressure conditions

Four sparkling wines sold by Tesco will initially feature the Zork top – Sparkling Mateus Brut Rose; Tesco 1531 Banquette de Limoux; Dino Durello Spumante; and Tesco Finest Angas Rose.

Tesco hopes that soon its champagnes and cavas will also use the Zork but at the moment there are regulations governing the production of each of these which stipulate that only corks can be used as sealants.

Added Tesco’s Dan Jago: “We think that the sparkling wines featuring the Zork will appeal especially to women.

“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.”

In March this year Tesco launched new lightweight wine bottles that are 40 per cent lighter than the average wine bottle.

The bottles weigh a mere 300g - 30 per cent lighter than Tesco’s previous lightest own label bottles - and the supermarket anticipates their introduction will reduce its glass usage by 560 tonnes annually.

And in 2002 Tesco became the first supermarket to switch all its own label wines over to screwcap.