Amorim has innovation, research and quality control at the top of its priorities. The strong commitment to R&D, allied with major investment in innovation, has contributed broaden the knowledge about cork, wine, and the interaction between the two. This made possible the development of groundbreaking new products and improved the quality of cork stoppers, reaching unimaginable standards in terms of quality control.
Amorim has innovation, research and quality control at the top of its priorities. The strong commitment to R&D, allied with major investment in innovation, has contributed broaden the knowledge about cork, wine, and the interaction between the two. This made possible the development of groundbreaking new products and improved the quality of cork stoppers, reaching unimaginable standards in terms of quality control.
Among the most disruptive projects developed by Amorim is the Helix ® system, the world’s first packaging solution which, while maintaining the glass/cork binomial that has been in use for centuries, dispenses the use of a corkscrew, and NDtech, a revolutionary, individualized quality-control screening technology which makes it possible to detect the TCA levels of each cork stopper by measuring parts per trillion in just a few seconds.
As a true leader, the company is a forerunner in strict quality control in each stage of production
This process starts with prevention measures, at the cork forest, and goes on after harvesting, in the way planks are selected, piled and stacked. The creation of new industrial units in the vicinity of the cork oak forest is a very simple, yet substantial quality-control measure, minimizing any risk of deviation in cork stoppers, the industry’s main, and perhaps most demanding product.
Along with stringent preventive measures, Amorim applies its own patented, state-of-the-art curative measures, which are unparalleled in the industry.
All cork planks used to manufacture cork stoppers undergo the CONVEX treatment, an advanced washing process, which prevents cross-contamination and produces less humid and cleaner cork. This treatment is an unprecedented innovation against traditional boiling methods, which, instead of decreasing the risk of contamination, increased it. Likewise, Amorim's patented ROSA (Rate of Optimal Steam Application) is an essential step in the treatment of granulated cork, as it uses controlled steam to eliminate traces of contamination.
Following these high-tech measures, the batches are subjected to gas chromatography analysis, a meticulous quality control system that examines stoppers at a molecular level. It detects minute levels of TCA, and is more precise and reliable than the human nose.
After processing, the cork stoppers continue to be subjected to a series of tests and procedures, in order to ensure that they meet the exact specifications of the world’s top wine producers. Cork stoppers are tested in terms of size, humidity, presence of strange aromas, residual oxidants, surface treatments, sealing capacity, extraction, insertion and long-term storage capacity.