Friday 01/16/09 - Wine Tours
Wine Cork Recycling
When a person thinks of cork, they may think of a variety of things. Some people may think of the material used for bulletin boards, while some may think of material used for coasters. Others, thoroughly confused, may simply think of cork as the other white meat. Chances are, however, when most people think of cork, they think of wine. Part of each others' lives, the two are nearly inseparable, especially without a wine opener.
What is Cork?
It would be easy to define a cork with a simple, unrefined answer. We could say that cork is a lightweight, inert substance providing blockage of liquids and leave it at that. But, because cork is an elemental part of wine, it is bestowed with certain elegance and sophistication. For this reason, wine cork deserves a more grandiose introduction: Cork hails from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, Quercus Suber. Produced extensively in Portugal, cork enjoys being fire resistant, providing insulation, and the company of fine alcohol.
Since cork is very elastic and impermeable, it makes a great bottle stopper; for cork, just like for many of us, wine was destiny. Its adaptability, additionally, makes it an easy material to compress without change to the original shape. It was these qualities that intrigued Dom Perignon, a French Benedictine monk, to use cork in a bottle of champagne, thus influencing the world of wine from that moment on.
How Do Wine Corks Affect the Environment?
Wine corks are environmentally friendly, like a material that is always willing to lend a helping hand or an encouraging word to the ecosystem. This makes wine corks stand out from other forms of packaging, forms that often hinder their surroundings rather than help them.
Wine corks are biodegradable, natural, and renewable. They also don't go to waste, with each aspect of a wine cork having the potential to become something else. Even cork dust can be used for fuel and cork residue can be used to make other cork products.
Cork forests, where cork oak trees reside, are important to the balance of the ecosystems with several species, including endangered species, calling these forests home.
What is Wine Cork Recycling?
Many places, such as Europe and Australia, have programs set up for wine cork recycling. Dropping wine corks off in designated areas, the wine corks are granulated and turned into products such as pin boards, tile, engine gaskets, hockey balls, safety mats, and boat decks. Recently, wine cork has even been used in rocket technology.
Because wine cork is one of the easier materials to recycle, there seems little reason to not recycle it. However, the US does not routinely engage in wine cork recycling, leaving some environmentalists to wonder why.
This wonderment, not limited to individuals, has been adopted by a few US based companies. One of these companies, Yemm and Hart, a firm specializing in the recycling of products, is conducting an experiment asking for wine corks that they can recycle. Theorizing that cork is a valuable resource that should not go to waste, Yemm and Hart plan to begin manufacturing tack boards, coasters, plaques, and floor tiles all made from wine cork.
What Are Creative Ways to Recycle Wine Cork?
If the concept of wine cork recycling catches on, recycling wine cork in the US may someday be as simple as recycling newspapers or soda cans. In the meantime, however, those who live in America can recycle their wine corks through a few creative means.
While some people have donated wine corks to children's museums, for use in displays and dioramas, others have made wreaths and decorative pieces out of old wine corks. Some people wire together wine corks and make hot pads while others suggest gluing sliced wine corks to the bottom of vases and knickknacks, as a means to keep these items from scratching tables and shelves. People have even found old wine corks useful as door stops, knife scrubbers, and pin cushions.
Just as wine should never go to waste, neither should wine corks. A highly useable material, there are several ways wine corks can be recycled, even if it's not routinely done on a national level. With all the kinds of packaging that can destroy the Earth, cork is an exception. A special material, cork is able to protect wine and the world by putting a stop to wastefulness.
Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored. |
A Short Wine Tours Summary
Wine Cork Recycling
When a person thinks of cork, they may think of a variety of things. Some people may think of the material used for bulletin boards, while some may th...
Click Here to Read More About Wine ...
Wine Tours Items For Viewing
Chrome Wing Style Corkscrew
The classic chrome wing spiral corkscrew makes opening wine bottles a breeze.
Price: 4.99 USD
Wine Tours in the news
The Wine Aficionado Gift Basket
Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:19:59 -0800
This is a generous gift of four wines: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot & Cabernet all from the West Coast famed wine regions; & an assortment of gourmet foods. Packaged in a handsome quilted suede tote with leather trim, it is sure to impress. Take a tour of the West Coast's famed winegrowing regions with this generous gift featuring four noteworthy
Characteristics Of Pinot Noir Grapes And Wines
Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:10:00 -0800
It can’t be denied that wine is one of the most important and the most popular drinks in the world. In fact, it has become an important part of our society.
Waiting for Jesus to Turn the Water into Wine
Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:54:55 -0800
Some of the 1,500 ml bottles of 2007 D'Aquino Pinot Grigio delle Venezie are nothing but water. It was a human error basically, it wasn't a tampering issue at all, the problem was at the bottling plant where the bottles are flushed out with water. "I guess someone was waiting for Jesus to turn it into wine," the VP of Quality Assurance joked.
Ymmy Wine Salami from Volpi Foods.
Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:33:55 -0800
A friend just sent me some fabulous wine salami's from Volpi Foods. One is made with Chianti and the other with Pinot Grigio. Here's an article from their web site about it. It's cute, they call it Volpizazzi.
Despite Economy, Oregon Wine Benefit !Salud! Raises Over $735,000
Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:01 -0800
Online Wine Sales Deliver a Personalized Experience, Shifting Industry Trends
Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:01 -0800
Chumeia Vineyards Souper Wine Friday
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:08:04 -0800
Take the chill off Winter with our complimentary soup and wine pairings. On Friday, January 9th, taste our featured Cream of Mushroom soup and Pinot Noir Argentina 2005 pairing from noon to 5pm. Deli case stocked with assorted cheese and salami for picnicking and picnic grounds available.Visit www.chumeiavineyards.com
California Wineries
Wine Industry
Wine Warehouse
Labels: Wine Bar | Wine Barrel
