Nomacorc
These days “sugary goodness” is an ironic putdown of the amount of sugar in our daily diets and are not words any wine maker would normally want associated with their finished wine product; however this is another case where the exception proves the rule.
Nomacorc, the world’s largest producer of non-cork wine closures, has produced a zero-carbon footprint wine closure, designated Select Bio.
The Select Bio closure is made from plant-based polymers derived from sugar cane, which is 100% recyclable and made using renewable, plant-based materials.
Nomacorc CEO Lars von Kantzow says, “We can reduce our overall corporate carbon footprint while taking an important first step towards our goal of minimizing the use of fossil-based energy and materials across our entire range of products.”
Company scientist Dr. Olav Aagaard puts the new product’s sustainability credentials and utility on display, saying, “When evaluating a closure’s carbon footprint, its susceptibility to spoiling wine and the environmental impact of end-of-life disposal, Select Bio is clearly the only solution that fully addresses all three aspects of the closure’s life cycle.”
The Select Bio retains the same oxygen-ingress control method that is the basis for all Nomacorc closures. There are three different Select Bio models, each with a very carefully control rate of oxygen transfer so that the wine ages at the precise rate the wine maker wishes. Also in common with their other closures, this new series has the same feel and look including chamfered edges, custom side printing, optional custom end-printing and serrated ends.
The Select Bio series are undergoing bottling trials with some customers, but the company expects they will be fully available on a commercial basis as of 2014.
