Conditions for proper storage of corks

Corks
  1. Corks must be stored in a closed, dry and dark room.
  2. Corks must not be exposed to humidity or sun.
  3. If the bag is opened, the corks must be used within 6 hours.
  4. Cardboard boxes in which corks are held may under no circumstances be placed directly on the floor, but must be palletized (on wooden or plastic pallets).
  5. In the rooms where corks are stored the temperature must not drop below 13 °C or rise above 25 °C.
  6. Under these conditions the shelf-life of corks is 4 months from the delivery date.

Instructions for use

  1. Use only fresh corks. It is better to order several times a year smaller quantities that will soon be used than to use old corks. Not using them will not make corks any better.
  2. The humidity of the cork is very important for its density as well as for corking bottles without difficulty. We first dry our corks and then pack them into sealed plastic bags. Low humidity prevents bacteria to appear and grow in corks.
  3. For still wines, the space between the wine and the cork should be at least 12 mm. For sparkling wines 30 mm. The volume of wine increases and decreases depending on the temperature, so it is important to adjust the temperature of the room in which the wine is being bottled. When warmed up by 1 °C, the volume of wine increases by 0.2 to 0.4 ml/L. The space of 10 mm between the wine and the cork corresponds to the volume of 3 ml approximately. The ideal temperature of wine while bottling should be between 18 °C and 20 °C.
  4. If, during the corking, the cork gets deformed or its surface damaged, the characteristics of the cork will automatically change, which means a decline in its quality. This shortens the time of wine storage.
  5. If necessary, we can round the cork on one or both sides to make its insertion into the neck of the bottle easier.
  6. White wine is more sensitive to influences or the change of smell and taste than red wine. If the cork gets deformed, there is a possibility that the fine dust from the cork surface will get into the wine and cause a change in its taste and smell. This can happen with low-quality corks.
  7. Before use, corking devices must be checked for possible damage, which might cause damage of the corks.
  8. 4 hours after corking, corks restore to 95% of their diameter before corking, and after 24 hours they restore to 99% of their diameter before corking. This means that bottles should not be laid immediately after corking.