Cork Council
Quality Management in Cape Town

The South African Cork Council strives to improve the quality, image and knowledge of natural corks distributed to the wine industry in South Africa and to ensure that natural corks remain the closure of choice for all bottled wine.
How does accreditation by the Cork Council benefit wine makers and merchants.
Whose operations and products comply fully with the quality standards set by the Cork Council, qualify for becoming accredited members of the Cork Council and using its seal of quality.

The South African Cork Council is a not-for-profit organization whose members import, distribute and sell natural corks in South Africa while complying with the requirements of the Cork Council. All members elect a steering committee on the yearly AGM, their job is see to the operational running of current events. Members whose operations and products comply fully with the quality standards set by the Cork Council, qualify for becoming accredited members of the Cork Council and using its seal of quality. The South African Cork Council strives to improve the quality, image and knowledge of natural corks distributed to the wine industry in South Africa and to ensure that natural corks remain the closure of choice for all bottled wine. setting and implementing minimum quality assurance standards for corks in terms of international suppliers, shipment, reception, storage, handling, treatment and delivery\. TCA testing of all batches of corks imported by accredited members of the Cork Council by an independent laboratory. This is to ensure that corks which are offered for sale comply with the Cork Council’s specifications. A member who does not pass an audit will be given a suitable period to rectify the situation. Failure to comply will result in a member being suspended. Accreditation represents a hallmark of quality when buying natural corks. Natural cork from accredited members of the Cork Council have been scientifically tested for releasable TCA by independent laboratories to ensure that its levels are far lower than levels capable of ruining a bottle of wine. Accreditation represents a hallmark of cork quality when buying wine, making cork the best seal available. Natural cork from accredited members of the Cork Council have been scientifically tested and found to have taint levels that are far lower than levels capable of ruining a bottle of wine.