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Vinho Generoso do Douro is the name of 'port' that does not have the official designation from the Port Wine Institute in Oporto. This 10 year tawny is the private stock of Quinta do Porto Velho. This quinta (vineyard estate) is owned by our cork producer. It lies far up the Douro River east of Oporto. |
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Cork oak bark sits outside to dry for 1-2 years. Notice
it is off the ground to prevent it from sitting in water.
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| The cork is boiled in water to remove tannins and such. It then undergoes an initial grading and cutting. This is one of the most important jobs and the most dangerous. |
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| The cork is then sliced into strips about 3" wide. The corks are literally punched out. Note that the corks are punched from the lower section away from the outer bark skin. The best cork is on the inside. |
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| The corks are then cut to length by slicing the ends off. I'm holding the discs left over from this. All the waste from cork production will be used to make agglomerated corks or cork flooring etc. |
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| The corks undergo an initial cleaning that vacuums off all of the dust. The president of the company in front of mounds of corks waiting for the next stage in the process. |
I
spent nearly a week in Portugal in late 2001, nearly all of the it in
Porto and the Douro. I spent a day with our cork producer. Portugal
produces about 55% of the world's cork and about 95% of that comes from
southern Portugal. A national law dictates the cork cannot be harvested
more often than every 9 years from each tree. Also, the 4" of bark
nearest the ground is not taken--this bark is suspected of being the
culprit of TCA.