The wine industry in Spain is one of the country’s most demanding in terms of quality, and it calls for the best material to ensure a safe seal for its wines. Traditionally, the safest material has been cork, thanks to its special characteristics, such as low density, flexibility, elasticity, compressibility, impermeability to liquids and gases, and humidity resistance.
However, cork stoppers can also be the source of some of the major defects in wine, in particular TCA, which can have unpleasant consequences on a wine’s smell and taste. Therefore, controlling the quality of cork stoppers can influence the quality of the wine itself.
As such, selecting a good supplier for your sparkling wine cork stoppers is one of the most important decisions you will have to make. Having a good supplier ensures the quality of the wine is not compromised and that the user experience is as expected.
Types of cork stopper suppliers
According to eInforma figures, Spain has almost 3000 cork, basketware and wickerwork article manufacturers, with an average turnover of approximately 1 million euros. Most of these companies are based in Catalonia, Extremadura and the Valencian Community.
There are different types of cork stopper suppliers and they each have different characteristics:
- Expert suppliers are those that, generally, have been in the business for many years. They bring all their experience and knowledge of the sector, in addition to providing higher output and specialization. In addition, the best suppliers usually have seals of approval accrediting the quality of their products
- Non-specialized suppliers are those undergoing diversification. These types of companies offer certain guarantees to the consumer and they are in the process of becoming specialized. These companies come from other branches of the industry and see a business opportunity in manufacturing sparkling wine stoppers
Factors influencing supplier selection
Some factors that impact the selection of a good supplier for your cork stoppers include:
- The origin of the product used as raw material. Natural cork stoppers come from cork oak trees, especially from forests in the Iberian Peninsula. Being able to select the origin of the cork makes it possible to control its quality.
- The physical proximity of the factory to its customers. Physical proximity to the customer is essential to reduce the impact on the environment. At the same time, we ensure a quick and agile response in terms of customer satisfaction, delivery and after-sales service.
- Use of standardized production and quality processes to ensure product uniformity. This is achieved by combining the knowledge of the traditional cork industry with cutting edge machine technology and manual processes, all this together with a quality control of the raw material and the production process.
- Some customization on different cork stoppers for different types of sparkling wines.
- Commitment to the customer and a good interpersonal relationship with them.
- Implementation of the highest standards for manufacture, production, and distribution, with the most prestigious quality seals on the market.
Quality seals for cork stopper companies
Nowadays, there are a number of seals that accredit quality and uniformity in the manufacture of cork stoppers. Some of the most important include:
ISO
ISO certifications certify that the companies that hold them follow the norms and standards to ensure the quality, safety, and efficiency of their services or products. Some are applied generally to all companies to ensure quality, including:
- ISO 9001 certification. While it is not specific to this industry, it is the most widely used model in national and international customer/supplier relationships. It is a seal that certifies the excellence of the production process, as well as customer satisfaction, resulting in a quality service.
- ISO 14001 certification. It helps to manage and identify environmental risks that may occur internally in the company during its operations.
Cork Mark: International Code of Cork Stopper Manufacturing Practices
Cork Mark is the international symbol that serves as the standard for identifying cork or cork products. It is a mark of excellence and prestige created by the European Cork Federation, which identifies bottles with stoppers made from real natural cork that has been produced under the strictest quality controls.
The wine industry can use this code free of charge, with prior authorization from the European Cork Federation.
SYSTECODE System
Systecode was created in the year 2000 as a control and accreditation system for the manufacture of cork stoppers established by the European Cork Federation. Its function is to certify compliance with the requirements included in the International Code of Cork Stopper Manufacturing Practices.
TESA, your trusted cork stopper supplier
TESA is your trusted supplier in the production of cork stoppers. We are a leading brand in the production of quality cork stoppers for cava, champagne and, in general, any type of sparkling wine. And, of course, our cork stoppers are a guarantee of quality, since we have all the mechanisms and processes in place to produce the best corks on the market.
If you would like more information, please get in touch with us. We would be delighted to help you.