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"From the cork oak tree to the bottle, the cork production process hides no secrets and requires no miraculous techniques: nothing but a meticulous production method that includes effective quality checks, from raw material purchase to finished product."
PRODUCTION process
From the cork oak tree to the bottle, the cork production process hides no secrets and requires no miraculous techniques: nothing but a meticulous production method that includes effective quality checks, from raw material purchase to finished product. This is how we obtain the best product and total customer satisfaction.
Augusta Cork, created in 1997, selects only the best raw material, then transforms the raw cork and produces the elements necessary to make corks: the discs and the granules.
We keep a strict eye on the raw material well before the bark is removed from the tree. We work closely with the owners of the forests, helping them with our technical knowledge so that they can improve the soil and therefore the quality of the cork.
The raw cork used at Augusta Cork comes from selected forests. It will be identified by its origin, the year and all the variables that allow us to ensure full traceability throughout the production process.
When the raw cork arrives at Augusta Cork, it is placed on storage platforms specially designed to remove excess moisture and other organic waste quickly. At the same time, the cork will also undergo rigorous quality checks before being finally approved for entry into the production chain. These checks are over and above the usual standards established by the industry.
The selected raw cork will then be boiled in stainless steel containers equipped with permanent water filtering systems. The entire boiling process at Augusta Cork is designed for optimum efficiency and minimum environmental impact. After a 6-month stabilisation period, an innovative steam pressure disinfection process and a boiling system with permanent water circulation and filtration prepares the cork so that it is in optimal condition to start the transformation process. Under our quality control plan, we examine the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of the cork that will be transformed into granules and discs.
When the Augusta Cork discs and agglomerates are finished, they are stored, distributed and shipped under optimum conditions for the production of the rods and assembling in Catalonia.
Our production process uses machinery incorporating the latest techniques in the industry. We have highly sophisticated tools to control the product during manufacturing, and to optimise the productivity, security and traceability.
We produce our champagne corks exclusively with individual moulding machines with axial compression. The moulding machines in our factory are placed after the Montebello system (a technology based on processing the granules by steam, temperature and pressure), which allows us to meet the highest quality standards. The Montebello technology was developed entirely by our research and development team, which makes it a unique piece of equipment able to make completely watertight rods with a perfect sensory profile and excellent production line performance.
Furthermore, our factory is a pioneer in developing an optical cork selection system, which gives us access to extremely reliable tools for consistent selection criteria.
All the above developments enable us to meet the highest quality standards in the champagne market.
We conduct meticulous systematic quality checks at either end of the raw material stage and at each step in the production process. The Sagrera traceability system is a large part of our commitment and guarantees the excellent performance of our products.
Naturally, all the products used in the manufacturing process comply with the food-safety requirements in force, with all the corresponding documentation.
custom logo
Differentiation has become an integral part of added value, and with our specialised production unit, we have a huge variety of stainless steel markers (vintages, crus, villages, and so on), offering optimal marking quality, that positions, differentiates and adds value to our product range.
The technical and sales teams are also delighted to offer individual advice in creating own brands so that the cork too can be a fundamental communication element.