It used to be that a bottle of wine with a screw top cap instead of a cork was considered to be low budget or, to put it more kindly, "affordably priced." However, that mindset might soon be changing, as screw top closures are reportedly catching on with major wine producers.

While screw tops are still a limited phenomenon in most U.S. markets, Beverage Journal magazine reports that some well known and highly respected American wineries, both large and small, are making the switch away from the traditional cork. R.H. Phillips, Hogue Cellars, Gallo, Whitehall Lane, Silverado Winery, Beringer, Don Sebastiani & Sons, and Cuvaison are just a few of the big names that are making a commitment to screw caps.

Beverage Journal reports that a 1999 survey showed that 80 percent of American households didn’t have a corkscrew. Some winemakers took notice, with Plumpjack Winery being the first to release a high-end screw cap with their 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Retailing for $135, the wine was a hit, and the screw cap version continues to sell out every year.

Soon after, R.H. Phillips switched to screw caps for 300,000 cases of merlot, sauvignon blanc, shiraz and chardonnay, and Bonny Doon began using screw caps on 98 percent of its wines, or about 450,000 cases.

Don Sebastinai & Sons took the phenomenon one step further by producing a line of wines called Three Loose Screws featuring Screw Kappa Napa, Fusee and Mia’s Playground. Capitalizing on consumer demand for twist-off closures, the winery is using a marketing campaign called "Life After Cork".

Even the pure traditionalists—French winegrowers—are trying out the closures. Burgundy producer Jean-Claude Boisset is using screw tops for three 2003 red wines, as is Bordeaux’s Andre Lurton, who will use twist-offs on 2003 vintage Chateaus Couhins Lurton, La Louviere and Bonnet labels.

Proponents of screw caps point out that they eliminate the risk of cork taint. Surprisingly, it’s not a question of money for the wineries, because bottling under screw cap can actually add to the production cost. Rather, the non-cork closure reportedly works more efficiently to maintain the flavor profile of the wine.

However, Beverage Journal also reports that significant research has failed to settle a debate about whether wines can age properly under screw caps, so most wineries are trying out the closure with younger wines.

Despite the seeming advantages of screw tops, retailers and restaurateurs report a mixed reaction so far from consumers. While many have embraced the concept, or simply don’t care how a wine is bottled, there are numerous others who still associate a screw top wine bottle with a low-quality product. Especially when purchasing wine as gifts, or ordering a bottle at a fine restaurant, a large amount of customers still prefer cork.

While screw caps won’t be replacing cork in most American wines just yet, the concept is starting to be embraced by the industry—and seems here to stay.