After the introduction of screw top wine bottles, the cork industry went into a nosedive. 

Top image: Johan Malan and Christine Rudman

Top Image Caption:

JP Colmant (Best Blanc de Blancs Trophy), Kobus van der Merwe, KWV Laborie (Gold Medal Blanc de Blancs), Christine Rudman, Frans Malan Trophy winner, Etienne Louw, Pierre Simond Wines (Gold Medal Blanc de Blancs), Shane Mullis, Domaine des Dieux (Best Brut Trophy and Best Overall Producer), Charl Schoeman, Simonsig (Best Rosé Trophy), Hannes Nel, Lourensford (Gold Medal Brut), Pierre de Klerk, Graham Beck Wines (Gold Medal Blanc de Blancs) Xander Grier, Villiera (Gold Medal Brut) and Elunda Basson, Pongracz (Museum Class Trophy. In front: Sharon Parnell (Domaine des Dieux)

With exhibition space for South Africa’s triennial wine trade showcase completely sold out, CapeWine 2018 is set to yet again raise the bar as South African wine producers ready themselves for the international trade and media gaze when Wines of South Africa (WoSA) welcomes them from 12 – 14 September. And once again, Amorim will be present at this illustrious event as one of the sponsors.

A seemingly insatiable thirst for Cap Classique sparkling wines among South African consumers and growing confidence in their category by producers are seen as reasons behind the growth in entries to this year’s Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, the leading competition rewarding the country’s bottle-fermented sparkling wines.

From left: Joaquim Sa, Cathy Marston, Heidi Duminy, Pierre de Klerk, Elunda Basson, Farai Magwada and Higgo Jacobs.

Some 127 entries were received for this year’s Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, now in its 17th year, the most the competition has seen to date. Judging took place at Nederburg in Paarl this week, with the results to be announced on 27 September.

As all wine-makers and producers know, wine bottling is not a process but a science involving skill, patience, experience and expertise in each crucial step.

Head of the world’s largest cork producer, Antonio Amorim, says that his company will have achieved the total eradication of TCA across the billions of corks it produces by 2020.

Top image: Pieter Ferreira, chairman of the Cap Classique Producers Association, left and Joaquim Sá.

Méthode Cap Classique producers have until 20 July to submit their wines for this year’s Amorim Méthode Cap Classique Challenge, the only competition dedicated exclusively to honouring Cap Classique wines. Amorim Cork SA, which is sponsoring the event for the 17th consecutive year, is the convenor of this unique wine competition in conjunction with the Cap Classique Producers Association.

Storing wine on its side won’t prevent corks drying out, and may even accelerate their degeneration, according to Amorim’s director of R&D, Dr. Miguel Cabral.

The interaction of wine and phenolics from cork stoppers produces a newly-identified set of compounds that affect a wine’s colour and bitterness – and these are called Corklins.