Campaign for Real Cork

This is part of a campaign for the use of real cork, particularly that of the Los Alcornocales (Cork Oaks) Nature Park, all around us. The park, says the film, is not only one of the last remaining pure cork oak locations in Europe but it is also a very important part of local economies. You can read about How That Cork Got in Your Bottle and you can watch this movie. You can also be sure that your bottle (of wine, brandy, sherry, port, etc. etc.) uses cork, and not that nasty plastic stuff! (See also: Vote for Real Cork!)

La Almoraima lost €1,7 million last year

CASTELLAR (Agencies/Photo: TioJimeno) What was once the largest estate in Europe, La Almoraima, has anounced operating losses of €1.7 million for 2009. This is below their forecast, which amounted to €2 million. Expecations for the current year amounts to a loss of €610,000, and €228.000 for 2011. The reason given by the management of the nationalised estate is that the cork market has suffered enormously since 2008 and the figures are 'dragging' since then. (You might like to read about the industry in How did that Cork get in your Bottle?)

Vote for REAL cork!

We had a curious e-mail from one José Miguel Ortíz Cano, (blog: Bajo los Árboles) whom we are not aware of having met, urging us to 'vote for the cork of our forests' on a poll no less than in the Wall Street Journal. We did. The US is cork's biggest market, and one of our local economy's largest employers, so we figured that it could do no harm. You can do the same here: http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/wine-241/topics/plastic-real-cork-better-way but be sure to see the results when you do and  a related article in that august publication. And while you're about it, you might like to see the work it takes to get that cork in your bottle, if you ever thought about it. (Over on the sidebar are several widgets that will take you to others in our occasional series.)