Nomacorc is a producer of engineered synthetic corks

Cork (material)

Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...

 for wine bottles. Nomacorc closures use co-extruded technology to manage the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) needed for wine, protecting against off-flavors in wine due to oxidation, reduction or 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) commonly known as cork taint

Cork taint

Cork taint is a broad term referring to a wine fault characterized by a set of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine, especially spoilage that can only be detected after bottling, aging and opening...

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History

In 1993, with more than 40 years of experience manufacturing products derived from the cellular extrusion of synthetic materials, Belgian businessman and wine connoisseur Gert Noel and his son, Marc, embarked upon “Project Broomstick” to create a wine closure based on foam extrusion technology. In 1999, they introduced the first Nomacorc closure

The company is headquartered in Zebulon

Zebulon, North Carolina

Zebulon is the eastern-most town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. In 2008, the population was estimated to be 4,732. Zebulon is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...

, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. In 2001, Nomacorc expanded into the European market with the addition of operations in Eupen

Eupen

Eupen is a municipality in the Belgian province of Liège, from the German border , from the Dutch border and from the "High Fens" nature reserve...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. Then, in 2003, Nomacorc moved its European headquarters to Thimister-Clermont

Thimister-Clermont

Thimister-Clermont is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. On January 1, 2006 Thimister-Clermont had a total population of 5,296. The total area is 28.69 km² which gives a population density of 185 inhabitants per km².-References:...

, Belgium. In January 2008, the company opened a production facility in Yantai

Yantai

Yantai is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. Located on the southern coast of the Bohai Sea and the eastern coast of the Laizhou Bay, Yantai borders the cities of Qingdao and Weihai to the southwest and east respectively.The largest fishing...

, Shandong, China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

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Nomacorc has plants on three continents, which produce 2 billion corks a year.

Research

In December 2008, Nomacorc announced the initiation of comprehensive, multiyear projects with the Geisenheim Wine Research Center, UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology

UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology

The Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis, located in Davis, California, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the areas of grape growing and wine making. Located just 45 minutes from Napa Wine Country the department has strong connections with wine...

, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique

The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique is a French public research institute dedicated to scientific studies surrounding the problems of agriculture...

, and the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)

Australian Wine Research Institute

The Australian Wine Research Institute , established in 1955, is owned by the country’s wine industry and is funded by grape growers and wineries with matching funds from the federal government...

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The studies focus on how oxygen transfer through closures influences the evolution of wine after bottling. The studies are set for completion in December 2011.