Breakthrough in cork technology by UK company

Bacchus Wine Closures in partnership with Álvaro Coelho & Irmãos (ACI), the second largest cork producer in the world, has developed Nanocork – a natural cork, topped and tailed with a specially developed barrier coating.

The Bacchus Barrier is a high performance film with a low permeability to oxygen and other gases that is permanently bonded to the ends of wine corks with a highly moisture-resistant polymer.

The coating offers a number of benefits, which the company believes will encourage synthetic cork users to return to natural cork as the preferred closure for wine: it improves the anti-oxidation consistency of the cork, reduces cork taint, strengthens the cork ends and improves the seal between cork and bottle. It is also claimed to be highly effective in retaining varietal fruit flavours and extending shelf life of the wine.

The recent conclusions of an extensive two year study by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) indicated that Nanocork outperformed other typical wine closures (natural cork, screwcap and synthetic cork) when it came to the freshness of the wine after the two year control period.

Wine under Nanocork was found to be fresh, intense and fruity with good length on the palate, whereas wines bottled under alternative closures displayed more honeyed notes and oxidized characteristics.

ACI has been testing this technology since 2005 both in-house and with customers, before starting to commercialise the product as Nanocork in late 2009.  The technology will work equally well on sparkling wine corks and corks for spirits.

David Taylor, MD Bacchus Wine Closures, says: "We are delighted with the extraordinary results from AWRI's closure trial. Our technology has taken a lot of time and effort to develop and now we have the stamp of approval from the world's leading authority on wine closures. We hope that sales around the world will now develop rapidly, as wineries discover the many benefits of using these unique corks. I am certain that our Bacchus Barrier technology will be an important aid to the renaissance of cork as the preferred closure for wine."

• Read the AWRI report

March 2010