Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/543749
August 2015 WINES&VINES 39 PACKAGING back positive for TCA, then we reject the lot," she explained. "We also soak 100 corks individually and do sensory evaluation to make sure there is no TCA or any other off aromas. If we find more than 2% "off " or "corked" glasses, then we reject the lot. Once we have approved the lots with the cork company, the corks are then branded, coated and shipped to the winery, where we repeat all of the quality control tests to be sure we have a good lot." Corks are branded in black ink with "Jordan" and the vintage. After repeated testing in Portugal, at the manufacturer's California plant and in Jordan's own lab, some 20% are eventually rejected for esthetic quality reasons, Davis added, including moisture percentage, porosity—how fine the holes in the cork and how many. Jordan chooses tin capsules from Ramondin USA. "While the cost of tin has increased sig- nificantly, we feel it is important to use the best quality for all parts of the package," Kruse said. What the cork industry has done As Davis noted, "The cork industry in Portugal has (made) major improvements to natural cork, especially in reduction of TCA." He cited better tracking of the cork product from the forests to the final punching of the corks. Among its arsenal of defense against TCA, he highlighted: • Storage • Sanitation of the production plants • Monitoring the washing cycle • Complete reduction of chlorine use for bleaching/sanitizing corks • Better humidity control • Improved TCA analysis (SPME testing) • Greater sensitivity to the presence of chlorine as a halogen precursor for TCA in almost everything that may come in contact with the cork (the pallet the corks are stored on, the shipping containers and truck interi- ors) and elimination of any possible chlorine agent in the winery. Peter Weber, director of the Cork Quality Council based in Forestville, Calif., elaborated on the natural cork industry's successes during more than a decade of effort. "There is more transition from synthetics," he said. "Direct-to- consumer data report sales are stronger with cork finish." Although "TCA-contamination is down to virtually nothing, there are still fears," Weber said. "I'd like to see more research on what hap- pens to wines before consumers get them," Weber added. He estimated that 15% of screw- caps showed physical damage including scratches, and that wine chemistry was affected in 8% of screwcapped bottles. "With cork, oxy- gen is diffused out over six months, then stops," he stated. Natural cork works with inevitable imper- fections in glass bottles, he noted. "Cork is more forgiving. Some 80% of oxygen problems are born on the bottling line." Weber noted that while mega-producers tended to adopt synthetic corks, screwcaps are more popular on smaller brands. While some wineries perform their cork trials in-house, ETS Laboratories of St. Helena, Calif., is perhaps the leading resource for those who do not have these technical facilities. President/ technical director Gordon Burns said ETS tests both natural and technical corks, most com- monly for TCA. "The most common analysis is for releasable TCA, but the full haloanisole and halophenol panel is sometimes requested." While ETS performs testing for both winer- ies and cork companies, Burns said, "The larg- est volume of samples is in support of the Cork Quality Council monitoring program." www.jansoncapsules.com Trust the 840 A Latour Ct - NAPA, CALIFORNIA 94558 - (707) 256-3957