Part of the Package - Seven Facts About Corks

Part of the Package

7 Facts about Wine Corks

1. Cork comes from the bark of Quercus Suber, a Mediterranean species of oak grown in Portugal, Spain, Morocco and Tunisia.

2. Harvesting a mature tree will not harm the tree.

3. A cork tree can live up to 150 years. During it’s lifetime the bark can be harvested 13 times.

4. The bark is carefully harvested from mature trees by hand and aged outside for 6 months.

5. After aging outdoors, the bark is boiled to soften and sanitize. It is then sorted and punched out by machine. Lastly, the finished corks are sorted for quality.

6. An individual cork has up to 800 cells which allows it to mold and shape to the neck of a bottle.

7. Contrary to popular belief corks don’t “breathe.” According to Dr. Paulo Lopes and his studies on wine closures at the University of Bordeaux a natural cork is made of 80-90% air. It is the oxygen in the cork that is gradually released into the wine, usually over the first three years in bottle.

Kasey Wierzba

Winemaker - Shady Lane Cellars