Nomacorc becomes four

Published: 23 July, 2008

Nomacorc, the world's largest synthetic closure producer, has expanded its product range from one cork to four.

As well as the original Nomacorc, now renamed Nomacorc Classic, the US-based manufacturer will offer Nomacorc Light, Nomacorc Smart and Nomacorc Premium. Nomacorc Light is intended for wines consumed within a year of bottling; Nomacorc Smart closes wines for a minimum of 24 months; and Nomacorc Classic protects for 36 months. Nomacorc Premium is intended for wines that will undergo long-term cellaring, and ensures protection for a minimum of 60 months.

Malcolm Thompson, Nomacorc's marketing director, said at the product launch held at last week's LIWSF: We have expanded our product range to meet the needs of the global market, a move we have been working on for years. Our customers told us that they wanted a closure option that provided a range of protection at a range of prices. A French Bordeaux requires a totally different closure to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This "family" enables the winemaker to choose the closure that is best for the wine.'

Although pricing has yet to be finalised', the Smart is expected to come in at 10 to 15% less than the Classic and the Light at 10 to 15% less than that', said Thompson. The Premium closure's final price is even less certain - it will not be released until 2006 and is still undergoing testing - but is expected to fit into the same pattern.

Oxygen transmission rates start at 0.57cc per day for the 35mm Light closure and move down to 0.031cc per day for the 42mm Classic (all the closures come in two sizes). The transmission rate for the Premium has yet to be decided.

Thompson added that the new closures would enable us to compete in market segments we have not been able to compete in before', namely the basic' level (categorised as wines that sell for under €3 a bottle) with Light, and the super premium level (€7-14 a bottle) with Premium. Smart and Classic will operate between those levels.

Thompson also revealed that Nomacorc hope to sell 1.2 billion closures in 2005, 350 million more than last year, increasing its market share from 6% of the total closure market to 8%. Its share of the global synthetic market was 35% last year.

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