Cork is a remarkable natural material, but the technology behind modern wine cork making is equally fascinating and not well appreciated by the wine consumer.

The process, that begins with a cork oak and leads to a finished wine cork in a wine bottle, is part traditional practice and part high-technology. From the adept use of the cork axe to the advanced factory techniques used to clean and sterilise the cork, to sophisticated scientific quality control measures, a wide range of skills and experience is needed to transform a piece of bark into a high-quality wine cork, ready for delivery to wineries around the world.

As a result of an undertaking to the wine industry to achieve the highest standards of technical performance in its wine corks, Amorim has transformed production and distribution in recent years.

It has eliminated middlemen so it can control quality and minimise the risk of faults at each stage of the cork's journey from the forest to the winemaker.

It has also completely redesigned its production processes, principally to eliminate possible contaminants in cork known to affect wine quality.

Amorim is an accredited Systecode supplier, but its production, distribution and quality control regimes, far exceed the requirements of the industry's International Code of Cork Stopper Manufacturing Practice.

The flowchart below summarises the cork production chain that is being implemented in Amorim's facilities.

Using the menu at left, you may follow each step of the existing production process and find out more about future developments. Amorim makes natural corks and what are known as technical corks using natural cork discs and cork granules. Click on Technical Cork to follow the process for making a technical cork.

Click on Quality Control to learn more about Amorim's exhaustive quality control and testing procedures.

For information on the full range of Amorim products visit the Amorim website.

For more information on the unique properties and history of cork, click on Natural Choice and for details of Amorim's R&D program, click on Research & Development.

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