Wine hand corker for max Ø24mm corks

PREPARATION OF CORKS
Natural corks (solid, agglomerated, layered) and synthetic corks come in different shapes (cylindrical, conical) and forms (e.g., mushroom-shaped corks and decorative corks). Synthetic corks come ready to use, while the natural ones need to be prepared properly prior to commencing corking.

• NATURAL CONICAL CORKS
  They are used for corking wines that are intended for consumption in short-term and not intended for long-term aging. The contact surface between these corks and bottle necks is too little to ensure long-term securing of wine. It is not necessary to use a corker – the corks can be pushed inside manually.
• NATURAL CYLYNDRICAL CORKS (AGGLOMERATED, SOLID)
  In home conditions, it is enough to immerse the corks of this type for about 5 minutes in hot water or place them over boiling water under some cover. This will make them sterilised and more flexible, facilitating bottle corking. Remember not to “moisten” the corks for too long, as it may lead to damaging them.
• SYNTHETIC CYLINDRICAL CORKS
  They do not require any special preparation and can be disinfected through scalding or washing in potassium metabisulphite. Suitable mainly for young wines. It is recommended to replace the corks of this type once in two years.

• 4. Decorating

WINE STORAGE / AGING

• Wine bottles, corked tight and featuring an informative label, should be stored in a dry room with limited access of light and in temperature of 10-15°C.
• ​It is best when the bottles are aged on racks specially intended for that purpose.
• Each type of wine required appropriate conditions. Red wines age best in a temperature of 15-18°C, white - in 10-15°C, and rosé - in 9-10°C. The lowest temperature is required by sparkling wines: 6-9°C. In a wine cellar, the optimal air humidity should be 65-80%. Too low humidity results in shrinking of bottle corks and ingress of air into the bottles. This, in turns, alters the flavour of wine or even leads to spoilage of it. On the other hand, excess humidity may lead to appearance of e.g. mould.
• What may be helpful in maintaining the optimal wine temperature is the method of arranging the bottles, which is why it is recommended to place white and rosé wines the lowest, and the temperature near the floor is lower than near the ceiling. The bottles should lie in such a way that makes the wine moisten the corks – thanks to that they will swell, thus sealing the bottles. During storage, further transformations constituting the wine aging process will be taking place.