Scott Laboratories is the only independent North America-owned cork company
For more than 85 years, Scott Laboratories has been the leading innovator for the North American specialty beverage industry, providing best-in-class products and services, including fermentation goods, filtration media, equipment, packaging and laboratory services.
Now, the company has developed a revolutionary two-step process to provide the highest guarantee possible against TCA and other off aromas in natural cork. Known as ScottPlus™, the process combines Individual Inspection with Dry-Steam cork technology to dramatically and reliably reduce TCA and increase neutrality in cork lots at scale.
- Individual Inspection involves running individual corks through thermal warming heat tunnels to rapidly and effectively volatize aromatic compounds. A quality control team subsequently evaluates each cork. Those found with any unwanted sensory characteristics are rejected.
- The remaining corks are then run through a Dry-Steam process to further improve lot neutrality. Dry-Steam heats water past the point of condensation to sweat out TCA or other off aromas. The result is a dramatic 75 to 85 percent reduction in TCA and off aromatic compounds, lowering them to undetectable levels.
“We’re unique in the industry in terms of trying to approach this problem through better processing,” asserts Alex Scott, President of Scott Laboratories. “By marrying Individual Inspection with Dry-Steam technology, we’re able to improve upon anything that’s in the market currently and help restore faith in the cork market for producers of all sizes – in a cost-effective, scalable, dramatic fashion.”
The ScottPlus two-part process is the latest cutting-edge technology developed by Scott Laboratories, which was the first company to bring Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) testing to the North American wine industry and the first to use SO2 to protect natural cork.
“We’re a holistic independent supplier,” notes Scott. “We have company brand equity to protect, and a lot of long-term relationships with our clients based on our commitment to provide them with the best product and the best service available. For us, it’s all about community.”
“Our motto is the Clean Cork with a Clear Promise,” adds Chris Holman, Scott Laboratories’ GM of Packaging. “When we sell something, we do it with an absolute guarantee. We believe that good cork starts with good raw material, and with ScottPlus we’re able to take the best raw material and make it impeccable.”
In addition to their cork program, Scott Labs’ Packaging department also offers a wide array of products including STELVIN© closures, custom champagne corks, wirehoods, screw caps, crown caps and custom tin.
The history of Scott Laboratories’ service to the wine industry dates back to 1933, just days prior to the end of Prohibition. The company is now in its third generation of family management.
For more information on the ScottPlus cork program, go to www.scottlab.com/cleancork.
