+of+1278810_height370_width560.jpg)
In many cultures the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle is synonymous with joy and celebration. But do you know where a cork actually comes from and what it really is? Before it was a wine bottle stopper it was bark on a tree...
The cork oak tree, QUERCUS SUBER, grows in Portugal and other countries which border the western edge of the Mediterranean basin. 
Cork is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. It is a renewable and sustainable resource making it a very environmentally friendly product. In cork oak plantations, the first cork bark is not harvested until a tree is 25to30 years old, and harvesting is done carefully by hand to ensure the health of individual trees. After harvesting, the bark of the cork oak re-grows completely, with a smoother texture after each harvest. Due to strict regulation, the individual cork oak is harvested only once every nine years. The cork oak tree itself can live for 150 to 200 years old...well after multiple harvests.One tree can produce 400 wine corks...
Cork harvesting:The process of manually stripping off the bark in sections is a tradition that dates back centuries. Cork is harvested from the cork oak tree that is grown primarily in only seven countries around the Western Mediterranean basin including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Portugal with 30% of the cork trees in the world is the largest producer of cork today.
Thank you to Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting another Marvelous Metamorphosis Monday!! Click on the link above to see more amazing transformations!Thanks so much for stopping by...... As always it has been my Pleasure...XOXO
Julie
So cool to see that tree, have never seen one like that, loved the story with the cork, fun to learn new things...thanks for sharing your great pictures...Phyllis
ReplyDeleteHI!!!
ReplyDeleteNever knew that about the cork, just took it for granted, like it just appears!!!haha
Not a big wine drinker or know much about it, our 2nd daughter just became an entry level wine sommelier for walt Disney!!!! She said it was a very difficult 6 months of training, and this is just level 1, a master sommelier takes years and years!!!!!
it will help her advancement!!!
hugs,
jamie
Who knew, not me:) Well, the picture of all the corks is wonderful! Love the story of how they are made. Thanks for sharing! Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteCan you believe that with all the wine I drink I never knew that?? OK, not THAT much wine but usually a glass with dinner. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting. I love visiting wineries and I've never heard, on any tour, any information about their corks. Your post is a really interesting tidbit of great wine information.
Thanks for the lesson, I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
yes, I know that - isn't it interesting? It's amazing how much work and effort goes into a little item that most of us take for granted!
ReplyDeleteIt was a very interesting post...loved seeing the pics!
ReplyDeleteMicki
Hi JUlie!!!!
ReplyDeleteOur little Miss C will be 2 in May, so she is 22 months right now, she does not have alot of hair and she is tiny, very tall but small for her age. So she looks about 18 months, but boy can she talk, so that kind of gives it away!!!! And she is going through the terrible 2's already!!! Gilrs go through it early and stay longer!!!!haha
have a great week
hugs,
jamie