What are the benefits of using corks in wine?

2022-09-16

There are many kinds of sealing forms for wine bottles, but wine bottles are basically sealed with corks, especially for high-end wines.

The benefits of using cork in wine What are the benefits of using cork in wine

1. 100% natural: Natural cork can be regenerated or recycled, it is a 100% natural and sustainable product.

2. Coexistence with nature: cork manufacturers do not cut down trees to produce corks. In fact, cork oaks can be stripped of their bark after 25 years of age, every nine years.

3. No waste: almost all bark is used to produce cork. Cork leftovers are crushed into pellets during the production process, which are then used to produce more cork products. Even fine particles of cork powder are collected as fuel, which is used to heat factory boilers.

4. Greenhouse gas emission reduction: According to the analysis report of PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2008, the total carbon dioxide emission in the production process of bottle stoppers using other materials is 24 times that of cork.

5. The environment is unparalleled: In summary, the study found that the environmental impact of various packaging materials throughout their life cycles was compared during production and disposal. Compared with cork stoppers, industrially manufactured corks perform poorly in various aspects, including non-renewable energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric acidification, formation of atmospheric photochemical oxidants, and solid waste.

6. Fight global warming: Natural wood can help prevent global warming, and cork oak forests can absorb 14 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

7. Actively protect fragile ecosystems: There are 24 species of reptiles and amphibians, more than 160 species of birds and 37 species of mammals in the cork oak forest, some of which are endangered species. There are approximately 135 species of plants per thousand square meters of cork oak forest, most of which can be used for spices, cooking or medicine.

8. Make the taste more mellow: Making the wine "breathable" and naturally mature is an important factor to ensure the flavor of the wine. Only in this way can the best wine state be tasted, which is also the ideal effect that the winemaker hopes to achieve. The cork allows trace amounts of oxygen to penetrate into the bottle, providing the perfect balance for the wine's gradual maturation. There are two extremes on the stopper side of industrial production. The plastic stopper will allow too much air to enter the bottle, causing an oxidation reaction. In contrast, the screw cap seals the bottle completely and oxygen cannot enter the bottle, resulting in a loss of aroma/taste.

9. Natural natural packaging materials: cork is a natural packaging material. Cork's natural elasticity, resistance to penetration, water resistance, as well as insulating and lightweight properties make it the perfect wine packaging material to keep wine sealed for a long time. In 1680, a French friar named Dom Pierre Pérignon tried to find a new way to seal a bottle of sparkling wine instead of using a wooden stopper wrapped in hemp fibers. Eventually, he managed to use a cork stopper. Since then, the finest wines and champagnes have relied on natural cork stoppers, making fine wines and corks indistinguishable.

Previous:What are cork Pads for?

Next:Advantages of cork table mats.

We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic and personalize content. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Privacy Policy

Reject Accept