French cork closure manufacturer Diam Bouchage announces the creation of a new factory plant
From Céret – South France –, where the head office and factory is situated, Diam Bouchage (145 employees, 75 M€ of sales in 2013) announces the creation of a new factory plant (about fifty employees) which will produce corks for wine bottles according to the famous DIAMANT® process. Patented in 2001, this unique process allows in particular elimination of "cork taint". To reach this result, the wood is cleaned with supercritical CO2, some carbon dioxide in intermediate state between gas and liquid. This operation allows to free it of several molecules, of which the 2,4,6-trichloro-anisole (or TCA) at the origin of the cork taint...
The manufacturer, who uses 15 000 tons of cork a year, is well positioned on the international market with this process which allowed them to sell a billion corks in 2013, that is 10 % of the world cork market. But on an expanding sector (Diam corking intervenes on four big ranges of products: still wines, sparkling wines, spirits and luxury beers), the group needs a 3rd DIAMANT® unit. Indeed,the first two factories situated in the south of Spain are reaching their saturation point.
The new unit that will be built in Céret with an opening announced for spring 2015, will allow the company to strengthen its place on the world market. For this project the Oeneo Group will invest 30M€.
Diam Bouchage expands their range with new permeabilities
In order to provide producers with the solution best fitted to their wines, Diam Bouchage expands their range. Each wine has its specific needs in terms of oxygen exchanges. Diam 2, 5 and 10 closures are now available with two levels of permeability.
Beyond the mechanical properties of each cork, wine producers may now choose their closures according to the permeability level that will best suit their wine requirements.
Diam Bouchage has developed its own method for measuring these levels of permeability. It is perfectly standardised and probably the quickest method on the market today - three patents are pending.
With Diam, bottling becomes an oenological act that ensures the mastered maturation of the bottled wine.