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W i n e s & V i n e s A U G U s T 2 0 1 4 31 come to dominate the supplier side. "We now close nearly 15% of all still wines produced globally," said Katie Myers, Nomacorc's communications manager for the Americas. "Nearly 60% of the top 500 wines sold in the U.S. are closed with a Nomacorc closure," she said. Like other closure suppliers, Nomacorc has added to and improved its offerings. "Since the intro- duction of the Select Series in 2011, we've seen a big shift in wineries that use this for their premium wines," Myers said. Natural cork producers have appealed to many sustainable wineries, touting the environmental advantages of their products. Nomacorc's response was to introduce its Select Bio Series, which uti- lizes plant-based materials—sugar cane biopolymers—to achieve a "zero carbon footprint closure." "Many wineries have begun trials" with the Select Bio closures, according to Myers, and Avalon Winery is using the closure for a portion of its 2012 Califor- nia Cabernet Sauvignon. Myers said that Nomacorc's co-extru- sion manufacturing process allows its closures to precisely control oxygen ingress rates. "From delicate white wines to robust reds, there is a Select closure suited for op- timum post-bottling oxygen management. The average-priced wine closed under the Select series is $22, but can range as high as $100 per bottle," she said. Nomacorc provides its proprietary NomaSelector software, which guides winemakers through an analysis of their winemaking and storage to help choose the closure that best suits the each wine, Myers said. All closures are priced the same except for Select Bio, which carries a premium price due to its unique raw materials and supply. "A winery looking to close a delicate, fruity white wine may use Select 100 to create an almost airtight seal to preserve aromas and flavors," Myers said. "The same winery may use a Select 500 on a full-bodied, robust red wine that needs more oxygen to help speed up and soften the wine's tannins," she said. Screwcaps During the past decade, as screwcapped wines have become a common sight at North American wine retailers, Stelvin has become almost as generic a brand name as Xerox, and the company remains a powerhouse. Amcor Flexibles of Ameri- can Canyon, Calif., distributes the Stelvin closure line. Jenna Riggs, Amcor Flexibles' market- ing coordinator, provided background about Stelvin's success. "Historically there have only been two standard lin- ers (that provide the OTR protection to screwcaps): Saranex and Saran Tin. Last year, Amcor launched a range of four new liners for Stelvin closures. These are composed of a variety of layers including aluminum, tin, ceramic, polyethylene and expanded polyethylene. These liners are also finished with a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) layer instead of PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride). Amcor doesn't designate these liners for particular varietals. "We seek to provide a range of options and let the winemakers choose their preferred OTR, depending on the level of oxygen and SO 2 in the wine at bottling and the ideal duration they want to keep the wine in the bottle," Riggs said. Liner prices do not vary within Stelvin's new Inside range, and they remain com- parable to current liner options, Riggs said. Some 120 customers are conducting VIEW VIDEO: C L O S U R E S