An older cork tree amongst a plantation of younger examples
Quercus suber is a type of oak tree native to the Mediterranean region. The tree has adapted to problems of fire and drought by growing thicker bark as a protective layer. This cork layer has many industrial uses and huge open forests have been developed to benefit from its sale in 7 countries bordering the Mediterranean sea. Spain is the second largest producer at around 25% of the world supply, following Portugal.
Cork oak trees are not felled, the bark is stripped, by hand using a special axe, at harvest time. This layer slowly regenerates, therefore creating a sustainable crop. Areas are harvested every 9 to 12 years, often with little work carried out in between these times. With this in mind you can envisage the importance to wildlife that these forests hold. A tree will be approximately 50 years old before its bark will be suitable for a wine stopper and may live to be 200 years old.
This tree has a test cut to see the cork thickness
Beginning in the 18th century cork has become widely used in industry, particularly after the development of the cork stopper by Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk well known for creating the first champagne. Other varied uses are flooring, engine gaskets, wall covering, sound insulation, fishing floats, shoes and life-buoys
Environmentalists, WWF and ornithological groups are campaigning to save the cork industry from decline by making the end user (wine drinkers) more aware of their power in choosing cork only bottles rather than metal screw tops or resin stoppers.
The following report by the World Wildlife Fund on cork forests of the Mediterranean region goes into great detail on the strong link between corks in wine bottles and the survival of these beautiful and important natural habitats.
Read the report here. (PDF document published May 2006)
The WWF conclude that if current trends to use alternative stoppers continue to grow that three quarters of these natural woods and forests could be lost through neglect, fire, diversification and over-grazing during the next 10 to 15 years.
Raw cork and manufactured wine stoppers "corks"
Where to see cork trees in Iberia?
"Los Alcornocales" is a forest of Cork oak trees in Western Andalucia, the largest in Iberia and therefore important to the worlds cork supply. Find out more information about the area by clicking here.
Talk about it and ask question's
There is a discussion on corks, corkage and cork trees at this iberianature forum topic... Please feel free to join in.
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