Pearl^® Micro-agglomerated Corks

Our Pearl Micro-agglomerated offers a natural alternative to synthetic stoppers and screw caps. Intended for still wines, light sparkling wines and beer, consumers can still enjoy the appearance and feel of cork while allowing the winemaker to reach a more competitive price point. Pearl corks are intended for wines that will be consumed within two to three years.

Pearl corks demonstrate our continuing commitment to sustainability and recycling. These products are made from the same carefully harvested and processed corkwood as our natural cork products. The material remaining on the corkwood strips after punching solid (natural) wine corks, is carefully sorted and processed. At our M.A. Silva 1 facility, a custom designed series of operations reduces the material to uniformly sized particles. The facility separates dust and particles that do not meet the narrow size tolerance for use in other non-M.A. Silva recycled cork products.

All the cork used in the Pearl products was previously processed by our Dynavox^® system while in plank form. To further remove any potentially remaining TCA, other off-aroma polyphenols, microorganisms and other undesirable compounds, we clean the cork again, this time as granules. While tumbling the granules, our proprietary SARA steam washing system systematically envelops every surface further removing unwanted aromatic compounds. The cork granules then immediately transfer to an adjacent chamber where filtered and heated air rapidly removes the residual moisture, eliminating the conditions ideally suited for bacterial and fungal growth.

General Information

Applications
Pearl^® Micro-agglomerated corks are designed primarily for price sensitive wines, which are intended to be consumed immediately after purchase. This product meets the same quality standards as our natural and technical wine corks, but at a price point competitive with screw caps and synthetic stoppers.

Sizes
Pearl^® corks are offered in 24x38 mm and 24x45 mm sizes.

Quality
The product is available in two granule sizes.

Durability
Pearl^® corks are recommended for wines, which will be consumed within two to three years.

Technical Specifications

DIMENSIONAL
Length: Nominal ± 0.5 mm
Diameter: Nominal ± 0.3mm
Ovalization: <1.0mm

PHYSICAL
Moisture: 5%-7% moisture content
Dimensional Recovery: >96%
Density: Nominal ± 40 Kg/m3
Resistance to boiling water: No disintegration

FUNCTIONAL
Extraction Force: 15 daN – 40 daN (coated corks only)
Sealing Ability: No leakage at 2 bar
Capillarity: <1 mm
Torsion: >35º
Shearing strength: ≥ 6 daN/cm2

STORAGE
Use before: 6 months
Storage humidity: 40% - 70% RH, non-condensing
Storage temperature: 15ºC - 20ºC, 59ºF - 68ºF
Location: Store in a clean, well ventilated, odorless place away from chlorine products.