Sightseeing
Three quarters of cork oak forests could disappear within the next decade
May 14, 2014 - 6:24 AM
The Cork Oak Forests of Spain
Three quarters of cork oak forests could disappear within the next decade
May 14, 2014 - 6:24 AM
The material which is obtained from the outer bark of the cork oak is known to have been used to seal containers by both the Greeks and the Romans and, today, has developed into an industry which sees much of its production going into the manufacture of stoppers for bottles.
Querus Suber - alcornoque in Spanish – is a deciduous tree which can live for up to 250 years. The first yield from a cork oak is typically not until the tree reaches at least 20 years old, with subsequent yields improving as the tree matures, and usually taking place at 10 year intervals during its productive life of some 150 years.
It’s native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa, and the cork oak forests of Spain and Portugal produce 80% of the world’s cork production. It is harvested, by hand, on a sustainable basis as the bark grows back after each harvesting and no trees need to be felled for the yield.
They are part of the landscape of the Spanish dehesa, the woodland pasture which provides grazing for the Iberian pig, a place for migrating birds to nest and breed, and a home for an amazingly rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The bodegas count for 80% of the cork which is used in the world, but many are now opting to save costs by using instead plastic or silicone stoppers, or screw top caps for their bottles. The young wines are now mainly bottled with alternative stoppers, and there are concerns that the demand for cork may drop even further. The WWF has warned that if the trend for synthetic stoppers continues three quarters of cork oak forests could disappear within the next decade.
The WWF says the loss in the western Mediterranean would bring with it ‘increased poverty, more forest fires, loss of biodiversity and faster desertification’.
El Mundo newspaper reports that, in Portugal, an ambitious rescue plan to the tune of 180 million € has been drawn up. In Andalucía, a law was approved in 2010 to bring under one legal framework administrative regulations for management of the dehesa. On a national level, a Spanish Senate committee unanimously approved to call on the government to implement legislation which would act as a framework between the state and the regional administrations in regulating the management and conservation of the dehesas’ ecosystems.
As far as the bodegas are concerned, a study carried out last year of the 100 best wine brands said 72 are using cork as a stopper for their bottles; that’s 5 more than the previous year. Spain’s sommerliers have also come out in support of natural cork stoppers, which allow the wine to mature by letting in just the right amount of oxygen for the wine to evolve correctly.
The use of natural cork in bottles of cava actually grew by 30% in 2010, but even this bastion of the traditional environmentally friendly stopper is now coming under attack from other materials. A new type of stopper was first trialled by the Champagne house Duval-Leroy in 2009. It’s known as the Maestro, and uses an aluminium lever to open the bottle while still managing to deliver the traditional pop when it’s opened.
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Querus Suber - alcornoque in Spanish – is a deciduous tree which can live for up to 250 years. The first yield from a cork oak is typically not until the tree reaches at least 20 years old, with subsequent yields improving as the tree matures, and usually taking place at 10 year intervals during its productive life of some 150 years.
It’s native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa, and the cork oak forests of Spain and Portugal produce 80% of the world’s cork production. It is harvested, by hand, on a sustainable basis as the bark grows back after each harvesting and no trees need to be felled for the yield.
|
They are part of the landscape of the Spanish dehesa, the woodland pasture which provides grazing for the Iberian pig, a place for migrating birds to nest and breed, and a home for an amazingly rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The bodegas count for 80% of the cork which is used in the world, but many are now opting to save costs by using instead plastic or silicone stoppers, or screw top caps for their bottles. The young wines are now mainly bottled with alternative stoppers, and there are concerns that the demand for cork may drop even further. The WWF has warned that if the trend for synthetic stoppers continues three quarters of cork oak forests could disappear within the next decade.
The WWF says the loss in the western Mediterranean would bring with it ‘increased poverty, more forest fires, loss of biodiversity and faster desertification’.
El Mundo newspaper reports that, in Portugal, an ambitious rescue plan to the tune of 180 million € has been drawn up. In Andalucía, a law was approved in 2010 to bring under one legal framework administrative regulations for management of the dehesa. On a national level, a Spanish Senate committee unanimously approved to call on the government to implement legislation which would act as a framework between the state and the regional administrations in regulating the management and conservation of the dehesas’ ecosystems.
As far as the bodegas are concerned, a study carried out last year of the 100 best wine brands said 72 are using cork as a stopper for their bottles; that’s 5 more than the previous year. Spain’s sommerliers have also come out in support of natural cork stoppers, which allow the wine to mature by letting in just the right amount of oxygen for the wine to evolve correctly.
The use of natural cork in bottles of cava actually grew by 30% in 2010, but even this bastion of the traditional environmentally friendly stopper is now coming under attack from other materials. A new type of stopper was first trialled by the Champagne house Duval-Leroy in 2009. It’s known as the Maestro, and uses an aluminium lever to open the bottle while still managing to deliver the traditional pop when it’s opened.
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