Feature
Issue No. 23 - June/Nuly 2005
Zork beats an age-old problem
The Zork “PopCap” closure is a market driven, technical solution to the wine industry’s greatest marketing challenge: preventing spoilage, the notorious “cork taint” that can make a prized bottle an expensive flop.
Zork incorporates the proven metal barrier technology of the screw cap into a patent-pending device. ZORK snaps on to traditional cork-mouth wine bottles offering a simple but compelling value proposition: ZORK seals like a screw cap and pops like a cork!
“Zork offers the winemaker a competitively priced, quality-controlled consistent barrier to oxygen. Made from a durable, food-grade polymers, Zork will not taint the wine or scalp its flavour,” says industrial designer John Brooks, co-founder of Zork.
Zork works on standard, high-speed filling lines, using modified screw cap equipment. It’s engineered to snap on to the neckband of standard cork-mouth bottles.
The design dispenses with the capsule — metal or plastic foil — to finish the packaging presentation and it comes in custom colours and proprietary designs with decorative printing.
Easy to remove by hand — remove the tear tab to break the seal, pull out ZORK — the device pops like a cork when extracted and can be resealed after use.
“Offering a market-driven solution unlike any other wine closure, Zork seals the bottle while preserving the integrity of the wine, the quality image of the brand and the sense of celebration associated with opening a bottle of wine,”John says.
“Of our 50 genuine customers, D'Arenberg is probably the highest profile winery on our client list. They are not a major producer but they are innovators and visionaries in the industry.
“We have had trials underway with most of the major wine companies in Australia and California for some time. None of the majors will proceed with a commercial run until they have at least 12 months of their own testing complete.
“Several are ap...
