Corks

Corks are made from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), found primarily in the Mediterranean, with 80 percent of the nearly 13 billion wine corks produced each year coming from Portugal and Spain. The living bark of the cork tree is harvested by hand every nine to twelve years and is a renewable resource, as the trees are not cut down and remain productive over their 200-year life span. Natural corks are well suited to their primary purpose of keeping wine in and air out (while allowing wine to “breathe” as it ages), and, as a member of the oak genus, may contribute desirable flavor notes (e.g., vanillin and lactone) to wine, much as do oak barrels.