HARVEST · May 21 2026
Each spring and summer, one of the world’s most regenerative traditions begins again.
Skilled harvesters return to Portugal’s cork oak forests for a craft passed down through generations. By hand, with a specialized axe, they lift the outer bark in large planks during a short seasonal window, leaving the tree unharmed and ready to regrow.
Patience defines every step. A cork oak is first harvested at around 25 years, takes more than 40 years to yield bark fit for fine stoppers, then produces cork every nine years for more than 150 years.
Key Facts
- Portugal produces about 50% of the world’s cork
- More than 730,000 hectares of cork oak forest
- Over 8,000 direct jobs
