-----Cork----- Unlike money, #cork really does grow on trees, Cork #Oak or #QuercusSuber (cork oak), in Mediterranean regions where hot, dry summer climates provide an ideal habitat, #corktree #forest can be found predominantly in southern #Portugal, #Spain and northern #Africa, where it’s estimated they cover over 6 million acres. And although cork oak trees grow in many places outside the #Mediterranean, Portugal and Spain account for over 80% of the world’s cork production. The use of corks as #bottlestopper dates back to ancient #Egypt, although it wasn’t until the 17th century that they were commonly used for this purpose. #DomPierrePerignon, the Benedictine monk credited with “discovering” #champagne, wanted to develop something better than the wooden stoppers that up until then had been used as a closure. They had an annoying habit of popping out of the bottle! The innovative monk successfully substituted a #stopper made of cork, and it wasn’t long before cork was used by #winemaker all over #Europe Cork trees takes 25 years to be considered mature enough for “stripping” without harming the tree, and another 15-20 years before the bark is considered suitable for cork stoppers. Cork from the first and second stripping is often used for #flooring and #decorative home products. Removing the thick, rugged cork bark is always done by hand (with a special axe designed for this purpose) in the spring or summer when the tree is in a growth phase and the bark is easily separated from the trunk. Cork trees can only be stripped every 9-12 years (regulations regarding the length of this cycle vary according to region) to ensure the health of the tree. With an expected life cycle of 150-250 years, that means each tree can be #harvest approximately 12-18 times. Source: cask23.com #wine #vino #vin #wineducation #winery #winetasting #winetime #like4like #likeforlike (Lisbon, Portugal)