Vinolok DSN magazine 2024-25 (english)

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N o. 10 | 2024–25 | ENGLISH

Winemakers from all around the world share their insights for choosing Vinolok™ glass closure.

03 Editorial 04 My clear choice 17 The beginnings 18 Vinolok™ basics 19 Oxygen ingress

Bohemian Glass Closure

Nestled in the heart of the Rheingau vineyards, a quiet yet profound revolution began in 2002. Faced with the devastating impact on taste and aroma, winemakers turned to an alternative solution—one that embraced purity and preserved the soul of their wine. From this need, a glass closure emerged—pristine, untouched by the outside influences. Every sip remains as vibrant and authentic as the day it was born. For those who pour their heart into every bottle, there’s only one choice—a commitment to protecting their masterpiece.

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2024–25

Editorial

In the competitive world of luxury packaging, aesthetics often take centre stage. However, for those who truly understand the art of storing premium wines, functionality is paramount. Vinolok™, an innovative glass closure, not only dazzles with its design and elegance, but also excels at what matters most preserving the integrity of wines and beverages.

While Vinolok™’s sophisticated design captures attention, its true value lies in its oenological properties.

The glass material is chemically inert, meaning it does not interact with the wine, thereby preventing any unwanted changes in taste, aroma, or body. This neutrality is particularly crucial in wines, where even the slightest environmental shift can impact the ageing process and the overall experience.

Winemakers who choose Vinolok™ do so with the confidence that their wines are not only beautifully presented, but also meticulously protected. This commitment to excellence is the foundation of the relationships we build with our customers. Together, we share a vision of providing the best possible consumer experience - one in which the true character of the wine is preserved from the moment it is sealed to the moment it is enjoyed.

Vinolok™ is more than just a glass closure; it is a testament to what can be achieved when design, functionality, and value intersect. In an industry, where maintaining quality is paramount, Vinolok™ has proven itself to be more than just a pretty face. It is the guardian of taste, aroma, and integrity—a proof of what can be achieved when beauty and performance come together.

As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in premium packaging, Vinolok™ stands as a beacon of innovation. It offers brands the opportunity not only to protect their products but also to reinforce their message of quality and distinction. We are proud to partner with the world’s leading wineries and look forward to continuing our journey together, creating solutions that are as exceptional as the products they protect.

If you want to find out about interesting and longlasting experiences with Vinolok™, I invite you to read the following references and recommendations. Vinolok™ is my clear choice.

Aleš Urbánek, ceo

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for youthful aromas and flavour in vintage reds

To fully grasp the magic of Vinolok™, patience is key. With time, our wines sealed with the glass closure - especially vintage —reveal extraordinary fruitiness and freshness, beautifully balanced with rich, mature tones that only deepen with age.

Michael Allacher Owner Allacher Vinum Pannonia Austria

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Producing natural wines means letting their rough edges show, giving them a unique flavour.

Vinolok™ allows our wine to mature naturally, free from external influences, preserving the authentic expression of each vintage.

Familienweingut Tement Austria

Vinolok™ closures are the key to preserving the pure essence of our wine, ensuring every sip reveals its true character without compromise. By eliminating the risk of TCA and other unwanted influences, Vinolok™ protects our wine's integrity, allowing its authentic flavours to shine through consistently.

Weingut Kerpen Germany

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Vinolok™ allows us to reduce excessive sulfites during bottling, perfectly aligning with consumer trends toward cleaner, healthier, and more transparent information.

Wines with lower sulfite levels are increasingly attractive to these consumers.

Vino Hort winery Czech Republic

for elegance in packaging, Vinolok™ is my

cle􀀁􀍋 c􀇹oice Vinolok™ exudes luxury, adding perceived value to each bottle.

Customers appreciate the elegant glass closure so much that they often keep them as cherished souvenirs, reinforcing brand awareness and loyalty with every purchase.

Vladimíra Egertová Wine production technologist St Claire’s Vineyard Czech Republic

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2024–25

BOHEMIAN CRYSTAL TOP

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to avoid problems with natural closures

To protect our wines from the unpredictability of natural closures, we use Vinolok™ to ensure every bottle remains free from outside influences.

We switched to glass closures after experiencing the adverse effects of TCA contamination on part of our 2011 vintage.

Martin Beránek The vineyard’s curator St Claire’s Vineyard Czech Republic

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for long-term ageing, Vinolok™ is my

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Minimal filtration enhances the ageing potential of our wines, which, when sealed with Vinolok™ can be preserved for decades.

The true testament to choosing Vinolok™ lies in the first bottled vintages from 2003.

These wines present themselves with remarkable freshness and elegance, and still full of character.

Hans-Josef Becker Owner J. B. Becker Weinbau Germany

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Vinolok™ is crafted to protect our wines from external contaminants and preserve its pure, pristine flavour. With Vinolok™ we experience the ultimate in wine protection and elevate our enjoyment with a cleaner, purer taste.

Hayo Loacker CEO and headwinemaker Loacker Wine Estates Italy

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for consistent taste in each bottle With Vinolok™, we leave no room for surprises - each bottle delivers the consistent taste we intended, free from the variations natural closures can cause.

This consistency allows us to maintain a high standard of quality across different bottles and vintages, which is crucial for building and maintaining our reputation, as consumers expect a certain level of quality when purchasing our wine.

Enzo Brezza Owner and winemaker Azienda Agricola Brezza Italy

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for easy opening and closing, Vinolok™ is my

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With Vinolok™, consumers can effortlessly and endlessly open and reseal wine bottles with just one click, eliminating the need for a corkscrew, and making it easy to enjoy our wines anytime, anywhere.

Alessia Sciotti Brand Ambassador Fantini Group Italy

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to stand out from the crowd Packaging with Vinolok™ not only enhances the visual appeal of our wines, but also sets them apart on the shelf. Its distinctiveness captures the consumer’s attention, making our wines instantly recognizable and more attractive in a crowded market.

Giulia Sciotti Chef Marketing Officer Fantini Group Italy

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cle􀀁􀍋 c􀇹oice to make each bottle truly special

Vinolok™ elevates our entire wine experience by enhancing the appeal of our packaging, and adding undeniable value and quality to each bottle. Its sophisticated design not only makes a striking impression, but also reflects the premium nature of our wines.

Valentino Sciotti President Fantini Group Italy

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cle􀀁􀍋 c􀇹oice for wines that will fly off the shelves

Vinolok™ is an extraordinary marketing tool, captivating customers with its distinctive charm. It not only elevates the overall packaging, but also offers a versatile canvas for brand expression with its diverse design options. In fact, our debut rosé wines, featuring Vinolok™, sold out 0.5 million bottles in just three months.

Philippe Martinet Close associate of Gérard Bru Château Puech-Haut France

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Vinolok™ is our guarantee of freshness and quality, offering the confidence that our wine will age gracefully and reach its full potential.

Exactly as we want them to be.

Viña Las Perdices Argentina

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against unwanted taste in wine With Vinolok™, every bottle remains consistently perfect after bottling.

Its neutral design and technical stability ensure that the aroma and taste of our wine stay unchanged, delivering the exact experience we intended.

Philip Maurel Technical Manager Château Puech-Haut France

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We choose Vinolok™ to transform our wine packaging into a statement of elegance and sophistication. It’s the perfect choice for us to elevate our brand’s visual appeal, and showcase the premium quality of our wine, leaving a lasting impression with every bottle.

Vicente Gandía Spain

Vinolok™ closures combine elegance and beauty with robust performance, ensuring consistent oxygen transfer. This is essential for guiding the ageing process of wine, allowing it to develop the desired flavours, aromas, and characteristics, while avoiding spoilage and maintaining overall quality.

Johnson Estate Winery United States

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BOHEMIAN CRYSTAL TOP

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to break tradition is Vinolok™

With Vinolok™ we elevate our wine to a masterpiece, and at the same time we break the tradition of Extremadura wines. Vinolok™ is more than just a closure, it's the finishing touch that transforms our bottle into a work of art, positioning our wine as a true luxury.

Eduardo de José Prada Oenologist Bodegas HABLA Spain

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cle􀀁􀍋 c􀇹oice to unleash the full potential of my premium red wines

We live, feel, and care deeply for nature, always striving to give back. That’s why we chose Vinolok™ —to protect our exceptional red wines, ensuring they stay fresh while gracefully developing their tertiary aromas, all while honouring our commitment to the environment.

Josef Umathum Owner Weingut Umathum Austria

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The beginnings

The story of the Vinolok™ glass closure begins in 2002 when German homeopathic doctor Karl Matheis, a wine lover and inventor, heard from his friend, a winemaker Hans Marx, about the considerable losses of his 2001 Riesling and Sylvaner production due to cork taint.

As a doctor, Matheis knew that glass is used as an inert material with the medicinal ingredients because it helps to keep them fresh and intact. This gave him the idea of creating a perfect closure that would not suffer any disadvantages. He set his mind on development of a glass closure and within a year filed 20 patents for the concept of a glass closure for wines.

In the March 2003 ProWein show introduced a new product called at that time Vino-lok. The closure immediately caught attention of about 50 winemakers from Germany, Austria, France and Italy, who agreed to be pioneers in testing the closure's properties. And the closure proved to be a success not only in terms of the wine development, but also in sales of the bottles sealed with it.

In 2005 began the long-term testing of wines closed with Vinolok™ glass closure at The Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute. This test by prestigious institution officially confirmed the exquisite properties of the glass closures.

Since its birth, the Vinolok™ closure has always been manufactured in Crystal Valley, the oldest glassmaking region in the world. Located in the north of the Czech Republic, the closure is produced by Preciosa, a world leader in the production of bohemian crystal.

In 2019, Corticeira Amorim, the holding company of the Amorim Group, concluded an agreement with Preciosa, which retains the remaining 50% stake in the company Vinolok.

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Glass is used as an inert material in the medicinal industry because it helps to keep ingredients fresh and intact. ↓

Karl Matheis

The first-ever Vinolok™ ↓

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Vinolok™ basics

The Vinolok™ closure is part of a system consisting of a closure, bottle and capsule. The capsule (1) ensures the safety of the system during storage and transport.

The glass closure (2) is made from high quality glass and is resistant against mechanical damage. The sealing ring (3) is made of EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer)

by DOW and contains no phthalates or allergens.

The closure can be inserted into the bottle (4) manually or by a semi or fully automatic bottling machines.

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Vinolok™ system

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how it works Sizes

Bottles

Vinolok closure is available in different types, shapes, colours and decorations. Sizes of the functional part of the closures are matching the conventional bottlenecks: 17.5, 18.2, 18.5, 20.0, 21.5 and 23.0 mm.

Vinolok™ closure is developed for use on Vinolokcompatible bottles that have been manufactured according to the definition of the internal neck profile specified in the drawing documentation. A list of such bottles can be found at vinolokbottles.com.

Capping

Capsules

Capping solutions are available for various production volumes and speed. Most of bottling equipment manufacturers offer semiautomated and fully automated solutions that can be either integrated into the bottling line or used as a free-standing module for bottling with speed between 1.000-16.000 bottles/ hr. For small quantities or testing purposes, the closure can be applied manually.

Capsules can be selected from various options provided by the usual supplier, including transparent, PVC, aluminium, or tin. Some winemakers also use a short capsule version, Alucap, for the Vinolok™ 18.2 bottle.

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Check out the Vinolok Youtube channel with capping videos

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Bottles with Vinolok™ and capsule can be stored in low humidity conditions, placed horizontally or vertically without the risk of premature oxidation.

Vinolok™ basics

oxygen ingress

The oenological performance of Vinolok™ glass closures was measured with multiple validated methods to determine its OTR (oxygen transfer rate) value. When expressed as amount of oxygen entering into the bottle within one year, the oxygen ingress of Vinolok™ is 1.2 mg/year*.

*measured by Amorim Cork in 2021, with colorimetric method**, on 10 compatible bottles **Lopes, P.; Saucier, C.; Glories, Y. Nondestructive colorimetric method to determine the oxygen diffusion rate through closures used in winemaking. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2005, 53, 6967-6973.

The oxygen ingress of Vinolok™ is 1.2 mg/year Oxygen Ingress Data 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 0

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↑Oxygen ingress (mg) → Storage (months)

No outgassing Vinolok™’s glass composition eliminates outgassing, preserving the freshness and fruitiness of crisp white and rosé wines, especially during the first 3-6 months after bottling.

Homogeneous performance Vinolok™’s precise glass and sealing ring structure ensures uniform performance across all bottles.

This bottle-to-bottle consistency is highly valued by winemakers, as it helps maintain the quality and reputation of their wines.

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10 Series 2

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Consistent oxygen ingress Vinolok™ glass closures provide a consistent and predictable oxygen ingress over time, ensuring the same amount of oxygen enters the bottle from the first to the last month of the wine ageing process. This is crucial for both white and red wines intended for long-term ageing.

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