To this question, the first, and probably the most direct reply, is that of a response to the TCA issue .
Indeed, the natural cork stopper is often associated with TCA ( (also named 2,4,6 Trichloroanisole, a chemical compound)
As the CREA, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology said, Anisoles, especially TCA, are responsible for at least 80% of the cases of cork taint problems.
To understand the TCA and some changing in the worldwide industry, we will have to do brief history
Before the 1980s, the problem of TCA (cork taint, which gives an unpleasant wet cardboard flavor to wine) was very sporadic and almost unknown.
Only 0.3% of wines bottled were considered defective because of the cork.
From this date, the problem became more majority and leads to an obligation of response from the wine industry, which turns to alternatives and solutions.
In 1974 the putsch in Portugal, already the leading producer of cork in the world, plunged the country into a major political crisis.
The country was busy protesting for two years and the cork forests were abandoned by their owners who fled abroad while committees were organized for the management of the land.
Inexperienced and looking for high yield, rather than quality, these new farmers have degraded the quality of cork trees by using a lot of fertilisers and mistreatment.
Moreover, while all the others general industry were modernizing and equipping themselves with safeguards to preserve quality, the cork industry was lagging.
Quality controls are almost non-existent in the 80s. The use of chlorine for washing is frequent, and the drying is made in poor condition developing fungus.
Forced to increase the pace, with the opening of new wine-growing regions, such as Australia and New Zealand, the cork manufacturers have favorized quantities and not quality.
Stoppers containing TCA were then sold en masse. In particular to these new emerging countries, considered as second-tier markets to which second-class cork were often delivered.
The problems of TCA multiply, became public and the press seizes the event.
In the 80s; the access to information is facilitated and the general public is aware of the «cork taste” generated by cork forcing the industry to find alternatives and solutions.
Even the wine critic Robert Parker, publicly denounces the delay and pronounces the end of cork stoppers.
« I believe wines bottled with corks will be in the minority by 2015. The cork industry has not invested in techniques that will prevent ‘corked’ wines afflicted with the musty, moldy, wet-basement smell that ruins up to 15 percent of all wine bottles. » [Robert Parker Wine Advocate, IBLNews 29 septembre 2004. ]
PRICE BATTLE
The second factor of change is related to costs.
Indeed, the opening of international markets, the entry of wines from the new world, the accessibility of information and comparison websites (such as Vivino) have drastically increased price pressures on wine makers.
The industry is therefore forced to resort to savings, particularly on entry-level wines, in order to offer more attractive prices.
Alternative closure systems such as synthetic caps or screwcaps are 3 times cheaper than natural cork and are quickly adopted for certain markets, such as organic wines or wines to drink young.
Therefore, many traders looking for economy, change the type of closure to preserve price-sensitive international markets (e.g. Germany).
In 2023 the increase in the price of the cork is estimated at 5-8%, which raises an open question about the future choices of winegrowers looking for competitiveness (Source of Independent winemaker interviewed in December 2022 from the Rhone Valley France)
NEW TREND
Finally, the new generation Z and millennials have also shaken up the codes of wine marketing.
Pushed by wines from the new world or American groups, marketing geniuses (such as 99 crimes), the presentation of wine is revisited in its entirety: from the shape of the bottle to the type of cork, through its label.
For instance, the glass stopper is therefore quickly adopted in the world of rosé wines for this generation looking for novelty.
STANDARDIZATION
Finally, cork also offers the disadvantage of irregular oxidation. Each one is unique offering irregularity in the wine closing. The porosity of the cork depends on each cork and regularity cannot be guarantee.
Among the great alternatives to the cork stopper we can find, the screw cap, the synthetic stopper, the agglomerated cork stopper, the technical stopper and the glass stopper.
In any case, each alternative must be carefully studied on different areas namely, the level of acceptance by the consumer, the cost of the cork, the cost of change, and the preservation of wine quality.
The Srewcap
On the screw cap side, the positive or negative evaluation by the final consumer depends much more on the country where he is located than its effectiveness.
French invention, the Australian (ACI Australian Consolidated Industries), bought the concept in 1970 under the name Stelvin.
Worn by large wine groups in the 2000s, adopting it on their high-end Riesling, it’s rapidly convinced public opinion in this country. The Australian consumer prefer to buy a screw cap wine than risking a cork tainted wine.
Nowadays 99% of bottled wines in Australia are with a screwcap (-The Sydney Morning Herald).
However, it’s seams it’s adapted to white wines and especially to oxygen sensitive grape varieties such as Riesling, which requires slow evolution.
In his first version, the screw cap does not allow oxygen exchange, necessary for the evolution and development of wine. So only recommended for wine to drink young normally.
Some research such as the one directed by the Australian Wine Research Institute in 1986, advocates an evolution without oxygen exchange. This study was confirmed by the recent blind tasting.
“All the air you need in the wine is at the top of the bottle. It’s a myth that wines need more air to age; it’s already there” said Mr Taylor from the famous Australian company Taylor wines
In 2015, during the Vinitaly exhibition, the writer Tyson Stelzer demonstrated that red wines can age perfectly with the new generation of screw Cap. He presented high quality red wine such as the Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz 2004 to international critics and wine tasters and convinced that screw cap can also be recommended for red wine evolution:
“We have seen that the screw cap can be very important for the evolution of wine, not only for young wines, but for long ageing.” Said Ariel Morales
The main negative point is the resistance of the final consumer.
In Europe as in the USA, it is not uncommon to confront a consumer who judges the wine of lower quality if he has a cork to aim.
The “Journal of Wine Economics, Volume 14,” reveals in a study developed in the USA on nearly 1 million observations, that consumer is on average willing to pay 7.7% more for a bottle closed with a cork compared to a screw stopper. Another study conducted in Italy by the IULM Behavior and BrainLab in 2018 and 2022 gave the exact same results
“The cork produced the best response with a cognitive engagement was 39 percent higher than for the screw cap. The emotional activation for the cork was 64 percent higher for the cork.”
Indeed, in the collective imagination the screw cap is a sign of large volume and therefore of low-quality wines.
A cork stopper is reassuring, and its importance is all the greater when the purchase involves an economic effort on the part of the consumer. The part of the closure system importance decreases for wine above $30. We can maybe assume that consumer with higher wine comprehension are ready to pay wine above $30, giving higher importance to the wine making or the variety than the closure system.
On the producer side, changing from cork stopper to the screw stopper can be very expensive, indeed unlike a synthetic stopper it requires the purchase of a new complete bottling line. This may require many years for a return on investment.
Form the other end, it’s also offers a significant advantage in bars or restaurants serving by the glass: no need of wine opener, no risk of TCA . A wonderful gain of time – said Fabien director of Vinum and Caseus a Wine bar in Spain
However, the knowledge of the end consumer is still too negative to push US or Europen winegrowers to adopt massively screwcaps process and invest in new bottling lines.
Some Australian groups such as John Larchet, owner of The Australian Premium Wine Co
have also back tracked by changing the 100% screw cap for a 50 / 50 in order to adapt to the market demand and the typology of wines produced. – Wine Spectator Journal 26Jul 2000 –
In addition, there are, just like cork stoppers, several qualities of screw stopper and the possibility or not of adding a liner that controls the reduction effect caused by the lack of oxygen. The thickness of aluminum or micro-oxygenation can also modify its quality.
In the bad side, they are restrictive for bottling because they also require a specific chain, they have the advantage of not enjoying any bad prejudice on the part of the consumer. On the contrary, it seems that they increase the consumer’s purchase decision by 30 to 40% (according to Christophe Chapoulie, one of Vinolik’s distributors and commercial director of Preciosa in France).
Nevertheless, this very young system on the market, has no hindsight or no study on the evolution of wines.
It is therefore, at 80%, used for rosé or organic wines, consumed during the year.
This type of corking is a real marketing advantage for a rosé wine market saturated by competition and where the appearance of the bottle is a major purchasing factor.
On the price side, unfortunately the bill quickly becomes very salty with an average of 0.50ct per cap (2 times more expensive than a synthetic cap).
To date, the TCA issue, has also given rise to a whole new industry. That of synthetic or semi-synthetic caps like the giant Nomacorc.
Created from recycled plastic these new stoppers are currently sold as alternatives to the cork stopper 100% TCA free (impossible because they do not contain natural material).
These new creations have convinced many winemakers, also offering the advantage (unlike the screw cap) of maintaining the romance of opening a bottle.
Perfectly hermetic, the first version of these corks, was quickly dethroned by a micro-perforated version in order to offer the micro-oxygenation necessary for the wine ageing and avoid reduction flavors.
Unfortunately, the success is limited in time because most studies demonstrate that, after some years, the polymers lose volume and become ineffective to seal the bottles perfectly.
This type of 100% synthetic cap is currently little used. The other major disadvantage against cork is its non-biodegradable side and it’s difficult to extract from bottles.
Technical Caps
Technical caps, offers many production alternatives, with no need to change the production line.
On a cork bark only 25% is used for the creation of 100% natural cork stopper in one shot, (because the porosity offered is ideal for the corking of the wine and its micro-oxygenation. )
The remaining 75% is also used: it’s reduced in granulated with different densities of cork microparticles and can be used in the footwear industry, construction but can also be re-agglomerated to create a so-called “technical – or agglomerate” stopper.
Unlike the cork stopper in one piece at 100%, they are often cheaper because they contain less premium cork material.
Used mainly for sparkling drinks (champagne) these agglomerated corks are excellent alternatives for wines to drink young. (Between 1 and 5 years dependingon the type of cap).
Important fact to remember in order to agglomerate the cork a food glue is used “This glue has an expiry date” Indicates José Laurente director of Ebrocork. « We tell our customers, and all companies that use agglomerated corks know it” It is therefore normally contradictory for a winegrower to use this type of cork for great wines to age.
Between the technical stopper and the synthetic stopper there is another alternative that uses both natural cork but also synthetic polymers to join the two parts of the cork. (Twin Top)
An economical solution to natural cork, but also, offering the double disadvantage of polymer glue (that can affect the aromatics of the wine) and TCA risk contained in the natural part…but sometimes two times cheaper than a natural cork stopper ( 0,35€ against 1,5 €)
Alec of the Sabaté group was a pioneer of this type of cork. Its meteoric sales were quickly halted by a report indicating the presence of TCA in every cork, denounced by a handful of American winemakers.
The corporation’s response was the creation of new prevention measures, a new control system and a new name: DIAM. Despite impressive sales in Europe nowadays, there is not enough time to properly evaluate the usage in wine.
If we compare the different closure systems, each offers a definite advantage for a particular type of wine. Nevertheless, it is certain that we miss some years of studies to perfectly understand how white or red wine can react with a different closure. We can do a table to understand advantage and disadvantage.
Each wine maker can moderate the area in function of the importance they gave to CO2 impact or Customer acceptance for example.
First, and in response to the TCA, European countries created the European Cork Federation in 1987.
With the help of several Member States, they are developing the Code of Cork Stopper Manufacturing Practice.
This code establishes a set of procedures and good practices to preserve the cork from the TCA as much as possible.
It develops all the conditions of storage, handling, and water treatment in order to offer the best possible quality for corks stopper
This code has also given rise to a label, making it possible to identify the companies which apply this conduct: the SYSTEMECODE.
For example, the cork heating system is controlled, the change of boiled water at each batch becomes mandatory.
It also advocates systems for extracting volatile substances such as Vinocor. Or the ban on hypochlorite in bleaching
The public opinion is also important and in Portugal, APCOR (the cork Portuguese association ) creates in 2018 the Cork Welcom Center to inform about cork
An investment of 7.8 for the promotion of Cork was made in 2017 and large Master of wine such as Martin Reyes, are involved in its promotion.
Nevertheless, chlorophenol biocides, responsible for TCA and now banned in Europe, are still accumulated in nature and can serve as precursors to the development of TCA.
The research to find solution, in addition to these quality controls to detect or eradicate the TCA of each cork stopper, is a new battle for the major manufacturers who compete for the market share of the cork.
Each company set up a research and development department to create a machine or a patent capable to detect the slightest TCA mica.
This battle is very mediatized, with presentation of new patents, or special techniques, in collaboration with prestigious research laboratories and sponsored by European funds.
For example, the giant Amorium launches its ND tech System which promises that any stopper detected by the ND tech System with a TCA greater than 0.6 Ng/L is automatically taken off the production line and promises:
Until now, no cork producer has been able to guarantee an automated quality control system for natural cork stoppers that screens corks individually,” said Amorim’s research and development director Dr Miguel Cabral.
On the Diams side, (manufacturer of technical stopper with cork and synthetics polymers,) it is advocated the curative approach with the unique technology of TCA elimination using the “supercritical” state of C02.
Small and medium-sized businesses need to have a process for handling caps and recognizing the TCA. Some use chemical treatment such as clean cork others continue research and development for new method of extracting volatiles. And it’s works! The cork quality council reports that TCA is 99%lower than in 2001
Source Cork Quality Council Sept 2021
Beyond the TCA, the industry must also prove its involvement in protecting the environment. Mainly for producers of synthetic caps often questioned.
For Nomacorc, singled out for the manufacture of non-ecological plastic stoppers, the range made from sugar cane is launched. “We all believe at Vinventions that the sustainability aspect of our wine closures will become increasingly prominent,” says CEO Denis Van Roey. Polymers are created from sugar cane, well it from a biodegradable product, the question is that finally it’s the same finality than petrol…
Green washing, or not, the important is the effort to please the consumer who is, sometimes, looking for unicorn: a low-cost cork, guarantee 100% TCA free, capable of maintaining the aromatics of the wine and developing its aging potential without risk of reduction or oxygenation, eco-responsible and biodegradable.
The largest corporations, take the lead and absorb alternative systems such as Amocim which acquires 50% of Vinolock in order to offer the maximum of alternatives to their consumers.
Natural cork remains the best closure system known and manufactured to date and in future years.
The association named: 100% Cork, published that during the last ten years, market share of premium cork jumped from 47 percent to 67.6 percent.
Cork is a natural material, 100% biodegradable, recyclable and perfect for wine because of its porosity and elasticity, NSA use it ! – repeats José Lorente director of Ebrocork.
To date, all conscientious manufacturers have a cork treatment system for the volatile compound TCA. Unfortunately, it is difficult to fight against the search for low prices which leads to poor quality and not enough caution during the fabrication. These poor-quality products exacerbate the collective awareness of cork associated with TCA.
In addition, TCA is an extremely volatile molecule, and a cork stopper requires an effort from each actor. From the farmer with the use of fertilizer products to the final consumer whose cap can quickly be contaminated by cooking products. (Example of a bottle stored in the fridge next to garlic that’s contain a lot of TCA)
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