Friday, May 8, 2015

How is Cork Harvested for Wine Stoppers?

While cork has many different uses, our favorite use is creating stoppers for our wine bottles! How exactly does the cork get from the tree to your favorite bottle of wine at our Lake of the Ozarks winery? Below we explain the process.

Cork Extraction


Contrary to popular belief, cork extraction is one of the most environmentally-friendly harvesting processes in the world. Not a single tree is cut down to get the cork. Since cork comes from the bark and not the trunk of the tree, harvesting cork does not destroy the tree. The vegetable tissue is stripped off the tree in late spring, early summer. In order to protect itself, the tree quickly forms new layers of cork. The tree is valuable for 170 years or more, even though it could have been stripped 16 times, once every 9 years.

How to Harvest Cork


Retrieving cork from trees is a skill handed down from generation to generation. A special hatchet is used to cut cork from the thick rugged oak tree. However, this cannot be done until after the first 20 years of growth. The outer bark is carefully peeled away as to leave the inner bark completely intact. For manufacturing purposes, the cork is then dried, boiled and dried again before use.

Cork for Wine Stoppers


It appears that the Greeks were the first to seal wine jugs with cork. Following them is the Romans, who used cork for fishing floats and shoes as well as wine stoppers. Dom Perignon, who discovered champagne in 1668 was the first to realize the full potential of cork as a bottle stopper. Before cork, wooden plugs were used. We continue to use cork for wine stoppers today, but other materials are also becoming more popular.

There's nothing better than the sound a wine bottle makes when you pop the cork! Come on by the best winery at the Lake of the Ozarks and grab a bottle for yourself. From a nice muscato sparkling to a pinot noir, Seven Springs Winery has something for every oenophile out there!


Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view! 

Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties.  Call us today to make reservations for your special event!

Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052

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