The Catalan Institute of Cork Foundation has participated in 44th World Vine and Wine Congress of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), which took place in the Palau de Congressos de Cádiz from June 5 to 7.

At the institutional level, a sectoral meeting has taken place between the Director General of the OIV, Pau Roca, and the president of the Institut Català del Suro Foundation, Joan J. Puig. The meeting discussed how the cork sector can help the wine sector in terms of sustainability or cork-wine interaction and how from the viticultural field cork can be supported in terms of communication, research or quality

For Joan J. Puig, "from the cork sector we claim the benefits that the cork brings to wine in terms of quality and sustainability and we work so that the wine sector perceives us as a natural ally, while at the same time defending the virtues of responsible consumption of wine".

During the congress we also had the opportunity to talk with the new Director General of the OIV, the New Zealander John Barker, who was elected to the position in an assembly that was held precisely to coincide with the congress. Barker has conveyed to us the importance of cork for the wine sector.

From the OIV they have also sided with the Institut Català del Suro in matters of recycling of corks for later use in circular economy projects, since during the congress boxes have been placed to collect corks to give them a second life.

Technical report on cork-wine interaction

Doctor Patrícia Jové, head of the Research and Development area of the Institut Català del Suro Foundation, gave a presentation on the contribution of cork to the wine sector. At the conference, he shared the results of the latest studies of the oxygen permeability of corks or the research that is currently being carried out to study the contributions of the cork to vintage wines. The session concluded with a sensory exercise of positive aromas that the cork brings to the wines.