Are corks going away?

In the last ten years, the increase in screw caps has created a decrease in demand for real corks. The cork industry has become endangered because of this — not the trees themselves. With the wine industry moving away from the cork, other uses for the amazing material are on the rise.

Why is wine no longer corked?

Basically, winemakers were tired of getting low quality corks that would cause TCA ‘cork’ taint, so they switched. Besides screw caps (made of metal and plastic), there are several ‘fake’ corks made from plastics to plant-based polymers. Ends Dec 31.

Can wine be stored without a cork?

If you don’t have a cork or stopper available to seal your wine bottle, use a small piece of plastic wrap to cover the mouth of the bottle, then secure with a rubber band. If the bottle has a screw cap, you should screw it back on.

Is there a shortage of cork trees?

You may (or may not) have heard a rumor that the world’s supply of cork is dwindling. In fact, if you’ve ever traveled to the rural areas of Southern Portugal — where most of the world’s cork oak trees are grown — you’ve seen firsthand that the supposed shortage of the cork supply is indeed a myth.

Is cork really sustainable?

“Unlike its synthetic counterparts, cork is an inherently sustainable resource, both renewable and biodegradable. The cork oak tree (Quercus suber) is unique in that its thick bark can be stripped off every decade to extract the cork without damaging the trees, which can live 170 to 250 years on average.”

Do wine corks have value?

Auctions for wine corks sell in lots as small as 20 and as large as 500. The wine bottles usually sell for about 50 cents per bottle, but fancier bottles can fetch near $5.00 each (hint: Cobalt blue bottles!). Wine corks, however, generally sell for about 10 cents each.

Who invented cork?

The inventor of cork-based wine stoppers is unknown. Colloquial stories attribute the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon. The stoppers date to about the 1600s. In the early 21st century, the problem of cork taint became prevalent, leading many producers to stop using corks in favor of alternatives.