BOTTLING GUIDELINES
Which cork will suit my spirit?
Select the right cork stopper type
Selecting the right cork stopper types is a crucial decision that every winemaker needs to make while considering various factors. Choosing the most suitable cork stopper can have significant effects on the wine’s characteristics, quality, and even longevity. Before making a selection, the winemaker should carefully consider the wine’s characteristics, including its type, bottling requirements, and intended shelf-life.
Moreover, the cork’s longevity and performance expectations should be taken into consideration as well. A good cork closure should provide the requisite protection for the wine during its projected shelf-life, while maintaining its visual appeal and functionality.
On that note, natural cork stoppers are considered to have the highest quality and are recommended for Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions and wines that age well within the bottle. For fast consumption wines, other types of cork stoppers, such as colmated, technical or agglomerated stoppers, are recommended. In summary, weighing all these considerations will enable the winemaker to make the best choice and safeguard their wine’s quality.
Which size of cork stopper should I choose?
Define the cork size
The size of cork stoppers depends on the internal profile of the bottle, bottling environment and wine characteristics. The “C dimension” is the term used by most of glass companies to report internal diameter at the top 5 mm from the mouth of the wine bottle. It is important to verify the diameter measurements further down the neck bottle interior. Irregular diameter or excessive taper can be a matter of design or manufacturing variance. Too wide bottleneck interior at the bottom of the cork can compromise the overall performance of the cork including sealing. Wine may seep around the sides of the cork or even leak. Also the aging process might be impacted and the wine quality can be affected.
It is recommended that the internal diameter at the bottom of the cork does not exceed 21mm. For regular wines the diameter of the stopper should be 5.5 mm greater than the mean nominal through-bore of the bottle neck. For wines of more pressure inside bottle, such as sparkling wines, it is recommended to use cork stoppers with 25 or 26 mm diameter.
The length of cork stopper should be selected in accordance with wine type, bottle filling height and wine characteristics. For high quality aging wines it is recommended to use cork stoppers with 45 mm or 49 mm length.
How long can I keep cork stoppers?
Handling and storage of cork stoppers
After packed, cork stoppers should be stored in places with temperatures between 10º and 20º Celsius and relative air humidity between 50% and 70%. This helps prevent risk of cork stoppers surface treatment contamination. Cork stoppers average humidity level should be between 4% and 8%. Stoppers below or above target moist level should be removed from bottling and returned to us in order to take corrective action.
