| Global Quality Control
Vinocor USA's Quality Assurance program was inspired by our extensive program in Portugal. The basis of this program is to inspect and control every element of production from raw bark in the forest to every product used throughout the cork manufacture process.
Several sub-programs within our organization include quality control of all chemicals used, raw cork bark GCMS analysis, technical cork manufacture control, pre and post shipment inspection and final QC.
Incoming Quality Control
Prior to cork arrival in our Napa facility, Vinocor USA receives cork analysis on lots shipped from Portugal. Upon arrival, the incoming QC includes verification of moisture, dimension, visual grading, and the corks are also tested for the presence of residual oxidants. Incoming QC would not be complete without organoleptic analysis. After scrutiny from our sensory panel, samples are run through GCMS for quantification of TCA.
  
Order Processing and Final Quality Control
Vinocor USA has numerous QC checkpoints upon processing a customer order. These checkpoints confirm of proper lot grade and size, inspection of printing and/or fire branding quality, verification of integrity of coating material, cork bottling performance control, sterility and final sensory analysis.
A cork ordered from Vinocor USA will have experienced a battery of tests both in Portugal and the US prior to its arrival at your winery. Several tests are performed 4 to 6 times throughout the production process.
The table below illustrates the tests performed.
| Final Quality Control |
Natural
Corks |
Technical
Corks |
Raw Material |
| Torsion |
|
X |
|
| Sealing |
X |
X |
|
Recovery Time |
X |
X |
|
| Extraction forces |
X |
X |
|
| Cork resistance to boiling water |
|
X |
|
| Moisture |
X |
X |
|
| Visual grading |
X |
X |
|
| Dimensions, ovalidity, mass |
X |
X |
|
| Viscosity |
|
|
X |
| Density |
X |
X |
X |
| Solid residues |
|
|
X |
| Cork solid residues |
X |
X |
|
| Capillary |
X |
X |
|
| Residual Oxidants |
X |
X |
|
| Quantification of Residual Oxidants |
X |
X |
|
| Granulate moisture |
|
|
X |
| Granulate specific weight |
|
|
X |
| Sensory |
X |
X |
X |
| Internal bottle neck |
X |
X |
|
| Dust |
X |
X |
|
| Microbiology |
X |
X |
X |
| Volatiles analysis by GCMS (SPME protocol) |
X |
X |
|
| Chloroanisols analysis by GCMS (SPME protocol) |
X |
X |
X |
|
