Amorim rated best supplier

Leading South African wine organisation KWV has named Amorim its best packaging supplier for 2008 with an outstanding 99 per cent performance rating.

The recognition was based on Amorim meeting the seven elements of KWV’s ‘Supplier Partnering Program’ and securing the highest rating from a group of 13 suppliers.

“Not all the products and processes are of the same complexity, but each of the suppliers is a leader in their respective disciplines and we are measuring the same criteria,” explained Wayne Matthys, KWV’s manager supplier relations and sourcing.

“Amorim’s high rating has a lot to do with their forward planning and a good understanding of our business needs.”

KWV’s performance measures include quality, materials handling, cost minimisation, design, technology, business system integration and communication.

A corker of a beer

It is considered the most expensive beer in the world and at about 250 euros a bottle it probably is — it is also sealed with a cork in keeping with its premium status.

Labeled ‘Vintage No.2’, the brew was recently launched by Carlsberg’s Jacobsen Brew House in Denmark. Only 600 bottles of this ‘Baltic porter’ (a strong stout style of beer) have been produced.

Matured in Jacobsen’s historic crypt-like cellar and stored in French oak casks for 100 days, the beer is bottled in champagne style bottles and sealed with natural cork, a wire cage and foil. Each label has a hand stencilled lithographic print by artist Marco Evaristti.

“With the Vintage trilogy we want to push the boundaries for what a beer can do, and to challenge the luxury wine segment in the gourmet restaurant market by utilising our innovation and brewing capabilities,” said Jacobsen brewmaster Morten Ibsen.

Miguel passes milestones

Amorim’s innovative ‘Save Miguel’ campaign has passed two major milestones with the website recording its 100,000th visitor and the related video content now viewed more than 500,000 times.

The website was established in August 2008 as part of an educational campaign to promote the environmental qualities of cork oak forests and natural cork products.

While 10 months have passed since its launch, the site continues to attract strong interest. In the first quarter of this year it received 15,000 visitors.

The Save Miguel campaign includes a humorous video presented by Hollywood actor Rob Schneider. The video and related content has attracted half a million viewers on YouTube.

To find out more about the Save Miguel campaign or to view the video visit www.savemiguel.com.

Cork takes flight

Amorim is one of four Portuguese companies that have joined forces to develop cork composites for aeronautic applications. A collaborative research and development effort, the AEROCORK project has received 1.27 million euros for testing the use of cork materials in ultralight planes.

Amorim Cork Composites has partnered with Dyn’Aero Ibérica, PIEP (Innovation in Polymer Engineering) and ActiveSpace Technologies.

The project aims to develop an ecological ultralight plane. The cork will replace synthetic materials in planes built by Dyn’Aero Ibérica. A prototype is scheduled to make its first flight in 2010.

Cork is considered a promising alternative to synthetic materials used in the sandwich panels that are fundamental to a plane’s structural integrity.

Amorim, the world’s leading developer and producer of cork composites, is providing advice on the use of agglomerate cork in aeronautical applications.

AEROCORK’s ultralight plane will be based on the MCR Sportster.

Showing innovations in China

Amorim has showcased the latest innovations in cork technology at two technical seminars in China.

Staged in Beijing and Yantai, the seminars were attended by representatives of a large number of wineries — including prominent producers COFCO, Changyu, Dynasty and Weilong — along with media, educators and other members of the Chinese wine industry.

“The highlight of the seminars was the detailed presentations by Amorim’s director of research and development, Miguel Cabral, on the influence of different stoppers on wine,” said Amorim Cork Beijing sales manager Ricardo Duarte.

Amorim also unveiled the new Acquamark cork stopper and Amorim Cork Beijing general manager Li Yao gave a presentation on sustainability and wine closures.

Oldest champagne uncorked

Champagne house Perrier-Jouët has marked the release of its latest vintage with an historic tasting of 20 champagnes — five from the 19th century, 14 from the 20th and one from the 21st.

Perrier-Jouët invited 12 wine experts to its ‘liquid history ceremony’ where the cork was extracted from the oldest vintage champagne still in existence, a Perrier-Jouët 1825.

“Each sip would have been worth hundreds of euros at auction,” said Serena Sutcliffe, head of Sotheby’s international wine department.

But how could a champagne maintain its sparkle 184 years after it had been sealed? It was closed with cork, of course. The cork, handcrafted in one piece as was the practice in those days, was still intact and had kept the champagne in top condition.

The experts were amazed at the freshness and youthfulness of the wine as well as its complexity of flavours.