PRESS · July 9, 2026
Writing for The Long Bar, the drinks writer takes on the myths that still surround cork.
Sometimes the most familiar materials are the ones we understand least. In “What I Got Wrong About Corks (And You Probably Did Too),” Wayne Curtis finds cork far more complex, and far more remarkable, than most drinkers realize.
Natural cork is renewable, harvested by hand without cutting down the tree, and its bark regenerates. Behind every stopper stand centuries of tradition alongside advanced technology, precision sorting and rigorous quality control.
Key Facts
- Cork bark regenerates after every harvest
- A cork oak is first harvested at around 25 years of age
- Each tree is harvested every nine years for more than 150 years
