Nomacorc and Presens form alliance to market oxygen management equipment
ZEBULON, N.C. (January 22, 2009) – Nomacorc, the world's leading producer of alternative wine closures, today announced the formation of an alliance with PreSens Precision Sensing, a preeminent manufacturer of optical chemical sensors. Nomacorc will market oxygen measurement equipment developed by PreSens for use in the wine industry. To further support specific needs of the wine industry, Nomacorc and PreSens intend to co-develop additional products.
The first equipment Nomacorc will offer to wineries, bottlers and research facilities is the PreSens Fibox series of analyzers, which allow for noninvasive measurement of total package oxygen concentration during the bottling process and other winemaking stages. The equipment uses proprietary photo-luminescent technology with small sensors that can be easily used in most any bottling condition. These sensors respond very accurately to differing levels of oxygen concentrations and can be used to measure both dissolved oxygen and headspace oxygen in the bottle.
"The ability to provide state-of-the-art tools for precisely measuring oxygen during the bottling process is the next logical step in our commitment to partnering with the wine industry to understand, measure and control oxygen's impact on wine quality," said Dr. Olav Aagaard, global director of oxygen management business for Nomacorc.
"We are excited about the opportunity to use Nomacorc's knowledge of oxygen management and their global wine industry network to expand the availability and usage of our innovative technologies," said Achim Stangelmayer, chief executive officer of PreSens.
There is increasing awareness in the industry of the negative impact on wine quality when oxygen is not properly managed throughout the winemaking process. During the 2008 International Wine Challenge, worldwide experts evaluated thousands of wines in a blind tasting.
Approximately 6 percent of all the wines tasted were judged faulty. Almost half of these wine faults were due to oxidation (19.1%) and reduction (28.9%), which are the result of oxygen mismanagement. This magnitude of wine fault is costly to all stakeholders in the wine industry and negatively impacts consumer enjoyment.
Jacques Beauclair of Beauclair Bouchons et Conditionnements in Clermont-l’Hérault France, a recent purchaser of the product, said, "We believe that using the PreSens oxygen-measuring equipment will allow us to demonstrate to our customers our ability to bottle their wines under optimum conditions."
The business will be supported by Nomacorc's enology team, which is based at Nomacorc's Center of Oxygen Management Research in Avignon, France. Early marketing efforts for the PreSens Fibox oxygen analyzer will focus on France, the world's largest wine-producing region. "However, because the product is also in demand in other wine regions throughout the world, we will offer the analyzer worldwide via our extensive sales network," said Jérôme Sciacchitano, Nomacorc's business development manager, Oxygen Management Europe.
In addition to the alliance with PreSens, Nomacorc is a founding member of the O2inWines association and a leader in post-bottling oxygen management research with renowned wine research institutes worldwide.
About Nomacorc
Nomacorc is the worldwide leader in the growing alternative wine closure category. Dedicated to technological innovation, Nomacorc manufactures its portfolio of products using a patented co-extrusion process. As a result, Nomacorc closures provide consistent, predictable oxygen management and protect against off-flavors due to oxidation, reduction or cork taint. Nomacorc products are available through a vast network of distributors and sales agents on six continents. With more than 400 employees worldwide and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium, Austria and China, Nomacorc currently produces closures at the rate of 2 billion annually. For more information, visit nomacorc.com.
About PreSens Precision Sensing GmbH
PreSens, founded in 1997, develops, manufactures and markets a full range of optical chemical sensors for the measurement of oxygen. Based in Regensburg, Germany, the company distributes its products and services for use in the biotechnology, medical and beverage industries worldwide.
Contact: Katie Myers
Richards Partners for Nomacorc
214-891-5842
katie_myers@richards.com ###
