FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACI’s Continuous DRAS RED System Removes TCA, Sterilizes Cork; Enhanced Computerization of DRAS-RED Also Improves Quality

Fairfield, CA, USA -- ACI CORK USA, a market leading supplier of cork wine stoppers, announces the complete migration of ACI’s unique DRAS RED system to a continuous processing mode. The improved process is now in place at the cork manufacturing plant of parent company Alvaro Coelho & Irmaos SA (Oporto, Portugal). This development, and the enhanced computerization of the ACI-developed DRAS RED steam distillation process, removes greater amounts of TCA from cork granules, natural corks and disks than ever before.

ACI invests heavily in cutting edge technology at its billion-cork-a-year manufacturing plant. Originally developed by ACI as a batch process, the DRAS RED system drastically reduces TCA in cork wine stoppers. TCA, or 2,4,6-trichloroanisol, is a volatile compound that can lead to off-odors in bottled wines.

ACI has also perfected the temperature control techniques that are necessary to remove TCA, yet allowing the cork product to retain its natural memory properties that are so important for high quality wine stoppers. A further benefit to winemakers from ACI’s DRAS RED process is the sterilization of cork granules, natural corks and disks that occur during the process; this kills bacteria or fungi that may have resided in the cork tree bark at time of harvest.

Finished cork product is shipped by ACI from Portugal to the company’s finishing plant in Fairfield, California in sealed food grade containers which provide the best environment for maintaining the qualities of fine cork. ACI is a founding member of the Portuguese Cork Producers Institute and a recipient of the Certified Company Trophy for compliance with the ISO 9002 Quality Assurance System.

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ABOUT OUR COMPANY:

ACI CORK USA, headquartered in Fairfield, California USA, is one of 19 subsidiaries of Portuguese-headquartered Alvaro Coelho & Irmaos, SA. ACI, the world’s largest producer of natural cork wine stoppers, was founded in 1996 by three brothers with over 80 years experience in the cork industry. The company uses cutting edge technology to produce over a billion corks annually, including its market-leading natural cork wine stopper as well as two types of “technical” cork: One-plus-One (produced via an agglomeration process) and Aglica (pressed wine stoppers comprised of microgranular cork components). After custom finishing cork to exacting customer specifications in the modern 30,000 sq ft Fairfield CA plant, ACI CORK USA provides corks to more than 300 winemakers in the USA and Western Canada.