University honours Américo Amorim

St John’s University in the United States has awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Commercial Science to Amorim Group chairman Américo Amorim.

The award recognises his commitment to environmental issues as well as his work in economic development and in social and humanitarian fields.

In a statement St John’s University said: “With this award to Américo Amorim, St John’s pays tribute to an entrepreneur who has led a truly remarkable life.

Geisenheim certificate for Germany

Following two years of preparation and inspections, Amorim Cork Germany has passed its final audit by the prestigious Geisenheim Research Center and is now a ‘Geisenheim certified company’.

The demanding certification process included inspections and audits at Amorim’s facilities in Germany and cork production plants in Portugal. Dr Rainer Jung and Dr Frederick Zürn — experts on issues related to wine closures and cork stoppers — carried out the final audit.

Each Geisenheim certified company commits to comprehensive and statistically reliable methods of product analysis and to ensuring the quality of corks delivered to customers.

In recent years Amorim Cork Germany has also secured the ISO 9001 standard and HACCP certification as part of its quality management systems.

In good spirits

Amorim has been actively involved in a number of whisky sector events for both consumers and industry professionals in 2009.

Early in the year Amorim participated in the World Whiskies Conference in London. The conference brings together leading whisky producers and suppliers with the aim of discussing strategic challenges, priorities and opportunities for the industry.

Amorim took the opportunity to highlight the environmental qualities of natural cork and the positive role cork closures play in the whisky sector.

Recently Amorim participated in the world’s premier whisky tasting event, Whisky Live in Glasgow, Scotland. An international consumer event, Whisky Live featured tasting locations in 16 countries and 21 major cities.

French wineries support recycling

Amorim France has entered into a partnership with prominent wineries Champagne de Castellane and Les Vins Georges Duboeuf that will see it collect over 230,000 corks for recycling by the end of 2009.

Both wineries see the move as an opportunity to contribute to sustainable development. The announcement received extensive media coverage in France including an article in leading daily newspaper ‘Le Monde’ and a segment on national television channel TF1.

The corks will be sent to Amorim’s cork recycling plant in Portugal.

Wineries embrace FSC corks

Amorim is experiencing increasing demand for its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified corks. Les Vignerons Catalans from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France is the latest winery to release a wine sealed with Amorim’s FSC-certified natural corks.

The winery has launched an environment friendly brand called ‘Le Temps de Vivre’. The wine is bottled in lightweight bottles and also features environment-friendly labels and packaging.

In South Africa, Graham Beck Wines — a champion of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative — has taken its environmental support further by adopting Amorim’s FSC-certified corks for its Gamekeeper’s Reserve cabernet sauvignon.