Nomacorc Celebrates Major Milestones in 2014

Nomacorc, a leading producer of wine closures, is used by popular Texas wineries such as Messina Hof. The company achieved many milestones in 2014, including celebrating the company’s 15-year anniversary in business and more than 20 billion closures sold. Originally conceived as an entrepreneur’s solution to cork taint and bottle variation, Nomacorc has grown to be one of the largest still wine closure manufacturers in the world. Since its inception, the company has established four facilities, most recently in San Juan, Argentina, and has produced and sold more than 20 billion wine closures.

“Inspired by our founder Marc Noël’s quest to improve wine quality and prevent unnecessary wine waste, Nomacorc has grown steadily and we’ve expanded our product and service offerings to give winemakers tools they’ve never had before,” said Lars von Kantzow, president and CEO of Nomacorc since 2006. “In our short history, we’ve already contributed to changing the way the wine industry things about oxygen in wine development and the significance that closure choice has to overall wine quality.”

Award-winning French winery Michel Gassier bottled its 2013 Les Cépages Vigonier with Nomacorc’s 20 billionth milestone cork. “Nomacorc’s success is clearly demonstrated by their responsiveness to clients’ input and dedication to service,” said fourth generation winemaker Michel Gassier.

This year marked an important milestone not only in terms of growth but also in innovation. Over the past twelve months, Nomacorc received recognition and accolades for its new plant-based, zero carbon wine closure, Select Bio^®. These honors included:

• Wine Industry Network WINovation award – Co-hosted by the North Bay Business Journal in California and the Wine Industry Network, the WINovation award honors companies that contribute to the advancement of the North American wine industry.
• Inspiration Packaging Awards Eco-Premio (Eco Prize) – Held in Madrid, Spain, the Inspirational Packaging Awards celebrates the best in design and innovation across the international packaging and POS market. The Eco-Premio award selects the best eco-innovation in the field of waste management and materials.
• The Drinks Business Green Awards “Best Green Launch” – As the world’s largest program to raise awareness of green issues in the drinks trade, The Drinks Business Green Award recognizes companies who are leading the way in sustainability and environmental performance. The “Best Green Launch” award honors a product that promotes an environmentally-friendly cause and clearly demonstrates its sustainable benefits.

“We are thrilled about the overwhelmingly positive response we have received this year from about our new Select Bio plant-based cork,” said Dr. Olav Aagaard, Nomacorc’s principal scientist. “This can be directly attributed to our ongoing goal of innovation and technological excellence, and we look forward to providing even more sustainable solutions for wineries in the future.”

To end the year on a high note, Nomacorc-closed Ken Wright 2012 Abbott Claim Vineyard Pinot Noir (Yamhill-Carlton District, 97 points, $65) was selected as the No. 1 pick in Wine Enthusiast‘s 2014 Enthusiast 100. The wine was awarded the highest honor by Wine Enthusiast‘s tasting panel, which reviewed more than 17,500 wines from around the globe, covering myriad regions, styles, and prices. Ken Wright has entrusted his critically-acclaimed, special-release library wines to Nomacorc for more than 10 years.

“Being named Wine Enthusiast‘s top wine of 2014 is an outstanding achievement,” said von Kantzow. “We are extremely proud to be a part of his delicious, hand-crafted wines.”