Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/1007939
52 WINES&VINES August 2018 PACKAGING Automating Cork Quality Control Major cork suppliers invest in new technology to catch contaminated corks A t one of Silver Oak Cellars' release- day parties in 2008, the winery had dug out a 6-liter bottle of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from its library. In front of an expectant crowd of Silver Oak fans, a winery staffer pulled the thick cork from the neck of the oversized bottle, and the smell of disappointed anticipation was overpowering. "We pulled a really corked cork, it stank of TCA to the high heavens, in front of literally dozens of people," recalled associate wine- maker Christiane Schleussner. "It was highly embarrassing." Word got back to ownership, which quickly sent word back down the production chain to ensure that every large-format bottle was sealed with a clean cork. The task fell on Schle- ussner to figure out how to do it. She got in touch with a cork-quality scien- tist in Portugal who directed her to a researcher in her native Germany. The two corresponded on a potential method to analyze corks for any flaws without destroying the corks. That initial correspondence led to a collaboration, and the two eventually published two academic papers on what would become known as the "dry soak" method of analysis. Schleussner worked with Cork Supply to develop the method to validate all of the more than 2,000 large-format corks she needed for Silver Oak. The success of those early trials soon led to Cork Supply developing what's now known as the DS100 protocol. From human to machine sniffing Cork Supply's headquarters is outside of Porto, Portugal, and when Wines & Vines visited in 2017, the main lobby of the building was crowded with white-coated lab techs silently working at long tables covered with cork samples. The techs were sniffing each sample, trying to detect any aromas of cork taint or any other off-putting aromas that could result in a flawed bottle of wine. A similar scene can also be found at the company's building in Benicia, Calif., where Cork Supply USA is located. But the headquarters in Portugal is also home to a new type of natural-cork quality- control process that is still relatively new and offers the same level of guaranteed protection from TCA. Cork Supply now has six machines that run an automated screening process, which the company says, coupled with its human- powered screening process, will enable it to supply 10 million to 15 million corks that it can guarantee will not cause any problems. A technician smells corks to detect TCA or any other contaminants. PRODUCT FOCUS CORK SUPPLY ©JORGE SIMAO By Andrew Adams