FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Superior Selection Method and Process Tracing Assures Quality Cork

Fairfield, CA, USA -- Superior selection methods and complete tracing of cork from the forest to the user is at the core of the newly enhanced quality control system that is used for producing all cork stoppers for the wine industry supplied by ACI CORK USA to its over three hundred customers.

The computerized tracking system developed by parent company Alvaro Coelho & Irmaos SA, Oporto, Portugal, starts with cork bark taken only from forests with which ACI has had good past results. The cork bark enters into ACI’s processing system in lots, based on bundles that have been carefully elevated after harvested and thus kept isolated from soil contact. Soil-borne bacteria are known to be a precursor to TCA, the compound in cork that at high levels can result in off-taste in bottled corked wines.

As the hygienic bundles move through the seven processing steps in ACI’s modern plant in Portugal, each lot is scientifically analyzed and quality-controlled continuously. The progress of each lot is recorded and traced by ACI’s unique system.

By having control over the production of the natural cork product from the time the bark leaves the tree until it is delivered to the customer, ACI is able to use its economies of scale and production management skills to provide excellent quality cork stoppers at reasonable cost. ACI is a founding member of the Portuguese Cork Producers Institute (APCOR) 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.