After losing sales to synthetic stoppers and metal screw tops, Amorim says he's found a way to stem a decline in market share through a process that gets rid of ``cork taint.''

consumers turned up their noses at pinot noirs with the bouquet of damp dog

Amorim's new process,

steams out compounds caused by a naturally occurring fungus,

it has eliminated the malodorous problem caused by the chemical trichloroanisole, or TCA,

``We're fighting back,'' Amorim said in an interview in Mozelos, northern Portugal, where the company founded by his great grandfather in 1870

Cork makers may have their work cut out for them. Alternatives such as Alcan Inc.'s Stelvin aluminum screw cap are finding fans even among die-hard cork aficionados.

While screw caps work ``brilliantly'' on everyday wines, cork is really the only choice for those that need to breathe and mature

To fend off alternative stoppers, cork makers also stress the fact that their product is biodegradable and recyclable.