Nomacorc Initiates Advanced Post-Bottling Chemistry Research with INRA...

Zebulon, N.C., (January 17, 2008) – Nomacorc, the world’s leading producer of alternative wine closures, today announced that it has begun an in-depth, three-year project with the Department of Enology Science at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) at Montpellier. The study will focus on collecting technical data to demonstrate how oxygen transfer through closures influences the evolution of wine after bottling.

“The industry’s understanding of post-bottling chemistry and oxygen’s role in wine development is limited by the absence of credible research data,” said Dr. Olav Aagaard, director of global research for Nomacorc. “There is a significant amount of work to be done in collaboration with leading global institutions such as INRA at Montpellier.”

With INRA, experiments have been designed to identify optimum oxygen ingress rates for the Grenache grape in different red and rosé winemaking styles. The experiments will be similar to those in progress with recently announced partner UC Davis in California, although performed on different varietals.

Dr. Véronique Cheynier, a leading contributor to wine research and an expert on polyphenols chemistry, will supervise the study. She oversees the multidisciplinary team studying wine molecules such as pigments, tannins and polysaccharides. Her team’s focus involves isolating molecules from wines and characterizing their structural features to better understand their influence on wine quality.

“Our analysis of post-bottling oxygen management and the role of the closure will influence optimum closure design and selection,” said Dr. Stéphane Vidal, enological research manager for Nomacorc. “As a result, we will be able to improve the winemaker’s control of wine development and quality after bottling.” The initiative, which began in September 2007 and will end in December 2009, focuses on better understanding the impact of oxygen ingress in wine and how that affects color development, mouth-feel evolution and colloidal stability. The different red and rosé wines made specifically for this program will be thoroughly scrutinized to gather scientific evidence tracking the evolution of key molecules under differing amounts of oxygen using a variety of chemical markers. All winemaking and aging will be performed in INRA’s experimental cellar in Gruissan, France.

About Nomacorc
Nomacorc is the worldwide leader in the growing alternative wine closure category. Dedicated to technological innovation, Nomacorc manufactures its portfolio of products using a patented co-extrusion process. As a result, Nomacorc closures provide consistent, predictable oxygen management and protect against off-flavors due to oxidation, reduction or cork taint. Nomacorc products are available through a vast network of distributors and sales agents on six continents. With more than 400 employees worldwide and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium and China, Nomacorc currently produces closures at the rate of nearly 2 billion annually. For more information, visit nomacorc.com.

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Contact: Katie Myers
Richards Partners for Nomacorc
214-891-5842
katie_myers@richards.com

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