The manufacturer of alternative closures for wine bottles was founded in 1993 by Belgian entrepreneur Gert Noel and his son Marc in Zebulon, North Carolina, with its European headquarters in Thimister-Clermont (Liège). In January 2015, Nomacorc became part of Vinventions LLC, in which the Noel family owns the largest share. The product range includes various internally sealing closures, such as Nomacorc PlantCorkTM and plastic corks, but also the screw cap Vintop. With production facilities in the USA, Germany, Belgium, Argentina and China, Nomacorc produces around 2.5 billion wine closures annually. In collaboration with several research institutes, Nomacorc is active in basic research on oxygen management in wine. The company manufactures its extensive range using a patented CO extrusion process. The corks consist of an oxygen-permeable inner core and an elastic outer shell that ensures a tight seal.
According to the manufacturer, the closures produced in this way result in a calculable, constant oxygen permeability and protect against undesirable flavours as a result of oxidation, reduction or cork taint. Reductive notes can be formed by chemical reaction during fermentation due to unpleasant sulphur compounds, but also still in the bottle. There are different oxygen rates in the range of sparkling wines or short-lived still wines to long-lived wines. The selection of a winery for the "right" closure for each wine type is supported by software that takes into account grape variety, production process, wine parameters and variety specifics with regard to oxygen management.
The products for the long-life wines provide controlled oxygen management in two phases. In the initial phase, the closure allows almost no oxygen to pass through. During the ageing stage, on the other hand, there is an extremely low, constant oxygen transfer known as nano-oxygenation (see under micro-oxygenation). The corks of the "Nomacorc Green Line" product line are made from plant-based polymers derived from sugar cane. It includes five brands for wines, each with a different ageing time or shelf life and also different cork lengths from 36 to 53 mm. The individual corks each cause a different oxygen transfer. These are Reserva (up to 25 years), Select Green (100 to 15 years, 300 to 10 years, 500 to 8 years), Classic Green (up to 5 years), Smart Green (up to 3 years) and the champagne cork Zest Premium (up to 2 years). See also other alternatives under closures.
Picture: © NOMACORC
