The evolution of our young wines for consumption within 3 years of bottling is similar to those sealed with natural cork, with the advantages that synthetic closures offer

José César Alonso Fernández

Adegas Galegas s.l.

Technical Guidelines

SupremeCorqs can be used easily on existing bottling lines and do not generate cork dust, which reduces maintenance and downtime.

Also, SupremeCorqs will not crumble in bottles or chip on production lines.

Wine bottles sealed with SupremeCorq can be stored in an upright position, making transportation and storage easier, as well as in a horizontal position, even directly after bottling.

General storage guidelines

Storage of corks

  • Store SupremeCorq products inside their sealed packaging in a clean dry area.
  • Avoid exposing SupremeCorq products to extreme storage temperatures. Store corks between 55°F and 80°F (14°C to 23°C).
  • SupremeCorq inventory should be used within 8 months of manufacturing date (see tracking label on SupremeCorq packaging carton). If time limit is exceeded, closures should be examined to ensure that they remain within manufacturer’s specifications.
  • At the completion of a bottling run, any remaining closures should be resealed in their plastic bags.

General bottling guidelines

Preparation for bottling

  • Dissolved oxygen in the tank should be less than 1 part per million prior to bottling to minimize the risk of premature oxidation.
  • Remove all tree bark cork residue from bottling area before using SupremeCorq closures.
  • The cork hopper, cork bed, corker jaws and all points of contact should be cleaned and sterilized prior to bottling with SupremeCorqs.
  • Corker jaws must be regularly maintained and free of any damaged edges that may cause cuts or creases on the surface of the closure.
  • If heated corker jaws are used, the heating element must be turned off prior to bottling with SupremeCorqs.
  • The corker jaw compression diameter at the time of insertion should be between 15.5 mm and 16 mm.

Wine temperature

  • Wine temperatures should range between 60-70°F (16°-21°C) during bottling. If bottling at temperatures lower than 60°F (16°C), careful attention must be made to fill heights to offset wine expansion caused by an increase in temperature.
  • After bottling, the wine should remain at as close to bottling temperature as possible for a minimum of 48 hours to allow the cork to seat in the bottle.
  • Bottles can be stored upright or immediately inverted during this period.

Vacuum / headspace pressure

Due to the excellent sealing qualities of SupremeCorq, headspace pressure is a primary consideration. Therefore:
  • A vacuum corking machine is recommended for bottling of SupremeCorqs and the actual headspace pressure should be as close to neutral as possible. Headspace pressure should not exceed positive or negative 3 PSI or +/- 0.2 bar at 68°F or 20°C.
  • Headspace pressure checks should be made on a regular basis during bottling. A standard “piercing” pressure gauge should be used for these tests. Note: We recommend using a corkscrew to secure the cork in place while piercing it with the pressure gauge.

CO2 and bottle pressure

  • 2,100 ppm of CO2 will produce 3-PSI internal bottle pressure at 60° F (16° C ).
  • We do not recommend levels of CO2 exceeding 2,500 ppm for still wine.

SO2 levels

  • SO2 levels will vary by the type of wine, storage conditions, additives, and winemaker style/preference.
  • SO2 Levels should be regularly monitored by the winemakers to ensure expected results.

Fill heights

  • Fill levels should comply with the bottle manufacturer’s designated fill height and bottle temperature. (see manufacturer’s bottle drawings for details.)

Bottle run monitoring

  • Supreme Corq recommends that all bottling runs are closely monitored and relevant data recorded, such as headspace pressure, chemical analysis, production date, cork lot number, bottle type, and bottle batch number.

Inconsistent cork heights

Inconsistent cork heights during bottling can be caused by one or a combination of the following factors:
  • Deviations of the internal bottle bore specifications such as off plumpness, ovality or other defect(s) that may adversely influence the vacuum or the positioning of the bottle in the corking machine.
  • Insufficient vacuum prior to cork insertion.
  • Overfilled bottles.
  • Incorrect setting of the corking machine, especially the plungers.

Shipping of wine

  • Wines should be shipped and stored at a consistent temperature of 68°F (20° C) to avoid leaking due to temperature fluctuations.
  • The elastomeric properties of SupremeCorq closures allow bottles to be shipped upright.