Image and Performance Sees Continued Domination of Cork

The importance accorded to wine competitions and ratings in South Africa has assisted in underscoring the fact that natural cork remains the preferred closure for premium wines.

According to Joaquim Sá, MD of Amorim South Africa, many consumers, wine retailers and wine commentators have always considered competitions and ratings as a vital guide-line in ascertaining the standard of wine offerings.

“The fact that wines closed with cork still dominate wine competitions is an important affirmation of cork’s important role in the fine wine offering,” says Sá. “Not only does it show that cork provides an excellent service in closing and preserving wines, but that it remains the closure of choice for South Africa’s leading wine producers.”

All South Africa’s major competitions this year – including the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, the Michelangelo Competition and the Veritas Wine Awards – produced a majority of winners whose wines were closed with cork. Likewise, most of the wines given 5 Stars in the 2015 Platter Wine Guide are sealed with cork. Most wines sold on this year’s Cape Winemakers Guild Auction and Nederburg Auction will also call for a cork-screw on being opened.

“This trend, however, is not limited to South Africa,” says Sá. “In America, cork closures continue leading the way in expanding premium wine sales in the world’s largest wine market. And in the fast-growing Chinese arena – already the largest red wine market in the world – cork has dominated from day one.”

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Joaquim Sa, MD of Amorim SA

According to official figures from Apcor, cork continues to grow its position as the leading wine closure internationally. In 2013 some 18,5bn bottles of wine were produced globally of which 12bn bottles were closed with cork. World estimated use of aluminium screw-cap currently sits at 4,5bn.

Sá ascribes this continued dominance to the image of cork as an integral, natural asset to a bottle of wine as well as quality of performance in protecting the content of that bottle, as well as allowing it to age.

“Amorim has gone – and continues to go – to extraordinary lengths to ensure that our corks are produced to the same superior standard of quality to which a wine maker creates his wine,” he says. “Cork has been a natural partner to wine for centuries, and just as the standards of wines continue to improve, so Amorim employs science and technology to ensure quality remains at a premium.

“The fact that the demand for cork closures continues to grow in all the world’s serious markets confirms that this age-old link between wine and cork remains inseparable.”