Cork
manufacturing in Portugal is a major industry based on traditions evolved
and refined over hundreds of years. But in recent years the cork industry has been
transformed by technology and the need for strict quality controls in the
production process to meet the demands of winemakers and keep pace with
innovations in the wine industry. As the world's leading producer of wine corks, Amorim
operates one of the largest R&D programs in the cork industry, investing heavily
in scientific research, laboratory testing, modernised processes and
innovation. The company commits about $US6 million a year to R&D
and spends millions more each year on factory equipment and product and
process improvements. Amorim has the
resources and commitment to meet the requirements of the modern wine industry.
In 1999, it established a central R&D department – separate from its quality assurance
and materials testing laboratories – and staffed by research chemists, microbiologists,
oenologists and sensory analysts. The department is headed by Prof. Miguel Cabral.
Under Prof. Cabral's leadership, the R&D department
undertakes chemical, microbiological and sensory analysis related to cork and wine.
The department currently has
five gas chromatographs (GC) equipped for either mass spectrometry (MS) or electron
capture detection (ECD) Each GC-MS or GC-ECD machine performs up to 75 analyses a day,
detecting cork contaminants at extremely low concentrations (as low as 0.5 nanograms
per litre or 1 part in two trillion).
TCA the primary targetAt present,
Amorim's number one research priority is the elimination of trichloroanisole (TCA)
from wine corks. The principal cause of musty taints in bottled wine, TCA is a non-hazardous trace
contaminant in cork that at very low concentrations may dull the aroma and taste of wine
and at higher concentrations render the wine undrinkable.
In tackling TCA,
Amorim's approach is a combination of prevention and cure, avoiding or attacking the
sources of the contaminant at every point in the production process.
The diagram below summarises Amorim's R&D focus.
Since its inception in 1999,
the R&D department has undertaken – either internally or in collaboration with other institutions
– important research in cork quality and manufacturing.
The first significant commercial
development arising from the work of Prof Cabral's team has been the anti-TCA proprietary system known
as ROSA. Click on ROSA in the menu at left to find out more about the ROSA system.
Click on R&D Projects in the menu
at left to find out more about Amorim's other R&D projects.
NATURAL CHOICE | FROM BARK TO BOTTLE | RESEARCH
& DEVELOPMENT | HOME | 