Breakthrough Technology Key to 100 Percent TCA Inspected Corks
M.A. Silva USA, a leading manufacturer for premium corks, glass and packaging throughout North America, has developed a cutting edge technology to eliminate TCA infected cork by examining each one individually and rejecting those found with any trace of TCA taint.
Named the “onebyonetm Program,” this revolutionary testing method uses gas phase spectroscopy, the study of isolating molecules in the gas phase, to automatically inspect every single cork for TCA, leaving no margin for human error.
“Our onebyonetm Program eliminates any TCA infected cork, a process designed for the high-end winemaker looking for perfection,” confirms M.A. Silva President Neil Foster. “We find that this remarkable ‘accept or reject’ technology is giving us much more reliable results with our product.”
Foster explains that through the onebyonetm automated process, individual corks are placed in tubes within a carousel, which are warmed up, allowing the phenolic compounds, including TCA, to become volatilized, and thus identified. Foster says it takes about five seconds per sample to have each chamber analyzed.
“With an output of between 6 to 7 million corks at a time, it takes quite a few machines operating constantly to do this,” Foster reports. “Our onebyonetm technology is primarily aimed at higher-level reserve wines, as the costs relating to testing could be prohibitive for lower end wines with a shorter shelf life.”
Foster affirms that M.A. Silva is investing in more machinery and looking into ways to speed up the process so that ultimately, it becomes more affordable for all levels of wine.
Automated cork testing has replaced manual efforts to detect cork taint through the human nose, as smelling large amounts of cork on a daily basis led to fatigue and results that were unreliable.
“We decided never to go that route and put our attention and effort into this onebyonetm automated system, which we know is accurate and quantifiable,” declares Foster. “By eliminating cork taint we continue to secure natural cork as the finest closure for wine. When we were first able to offer this technology in 2016, it was a real industry breakthrough.”
For information and orders, go to www.masilva.com.
