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54 WINES&VINES August 2018 PACKAGING better code so that the analysis can be done more quickly. "It is very difficult to be able to perform that kind of analysis in seconds as opposed to minutes," he said. "We are now down to below 16 sec- onds, and the plan is to bring that down further this year." De Jesus said Amorim's efforts have been rewarded by not one, but two, global insurance compa- nies willing to back the company's guarantee behind every cork certi- fied through the NDtech process. He said demand from wineries selling at the highest price points has been strong, as expected, but what was not as expected was the high interest from wineries at the $30 to $40 per bottle level. The certification process can add 12 to 15 cents per cork or $145 to $175 per lot, and de Jesus said it ap- pears wineries are willing to pay the premium to use a fully guar- anteed natural cork. It's the conclusion reached by Michael Hirby, who is the wine- maker and owner of Relic Wine Cellars in St. Helena, Calif. Relic produces around 2,000 cases per year, and after conducting a trial of certified corks, Hirby is now bottling everything under them. "I think it's a reasonable price to pay considering the guarantee and being able to sleep better at night knowing every wine we put out will be at its best." A former sommelier who tran- sitioned into winemaking, Hirby said all of the world's greatest wines throughout history have been sealed by cork. While there may be some other closures that could provide similar quality over time, Hirby said, the industry just doesn't yet have a sample of truly great wines that have been under those closures for decades. And considering the name of the winery is "Relic," Hirby said, the prospect of a natural cork with a guarantee of protection just made sense. He said his trial con- sisted of a small bottling lot that he evaluated over time. "We've just found six months out and a year out, just really, really great consistency." A worker punching out natural corks from a piece of cork bark. Wines & Vines Digital Edition View this issue on your tablet, smartphone or online at winesandvines.com/digitaledition winesandvines.com