100% Cork | Produced by Nature. Preferred by Winemakers
By Amorim Cork | Winetimes.co | Published January 12, 2015
The importance accorded to wine competitions and ratings in South Africa has assisted in underscoring the fact that natural cork remains the preferred closure for premium wines.
According to Joaquim Sá, MD of Amorim South Africa, many consumers, wine retailers and wine commentators have always considered competitions and ratings as a vital guide-line in ascertaining the standard of wine offerings.
“The fact that wines closed with cork still dominate wine competitions is an important affirmation of cork’s important role in the fine wine offering,” says Sá. “Not only does it show that cork provides an excellent service in closing and preserving wines, but that it remains the closure of choice for South Africa’s leading wine producers.”
All South Africa’s major competitions this year – including the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, the Michelangelo Competition and the Veritas Wine Awards – produced a majority of winners whose wines were closed with cork. Likewise, most of the wines given 5 Stars in the 2015 Platter Wine Guide are sealed with cork. Most wines sold on this year’s Cape Winemakers Guild Auction and Nederburg Auction will also call for a cork-screw on being opened.
“This trend, however, is not limited to South Africa,” says Sá. “In America, cork closures continue leading the way in expanding premium wine sales in the world’s largest wine market. And in the fast-growing Chinese arena – already the largest red wine market in the world – cork has dominated from day one.”
