At Sandihurst all our wines are bottled under cork. We believe it is the best closure for the developement of the wine in the bottle. Now Decanter magazine reports on another reason to love the mighty cork.
A year-long life cycle analysis of the environmental impact of cork, plastic and aluminium screwcap stoppers has found what is already widely accepted: that cork is the most environmentally-friendly stopper. The was study undertaken by analysts Pricewaterhouse Coopers and was commissioned by Amorim, the world's largest cork manufacturer.
The report found plastic stoppers, including the plastic capsule that goes over the top of the bottle, are nine times more damaging to the environment - and aluminium screwcaps are twenty-two times - than cork stoppers, including corks with a plastic capsule.
The first independent survey comparing all three main types of wine bottle stopper, the study was conducted in accordance with ISO (International Standards Organisation) protocols which require peer review, and involved representatives from manufacturers of the other types of closures as well as a life cycle analysis expert.
It calculated various environmental impacts: non-renewable energy consumption, water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric acidification, formation of photochemical oxidants which cause ozone layer depletion, the production of solid waste, and the eutrophication (loss of animal life) of surface water. Of the seven environmental impacts studied, cork performed best on six of them.
The anti-cork brigade will no doubt be up on their soapboxes already, yes we know the report was funded by a cork manufacturer. But this result is clearly not in question. Most of these people are forever on about cork taint as opposed to wine developement, i think a more important issue. One day cork manufacturers will beat the taint issue and where we we be then ?
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