The cork stoppers

In the year 1681 in a french abbey in Hautvillers, a Benedict monk Dom Pierre Perignon opened the doors to the "champenoise" method that made possible the manufacture of French 'champagne', Italian 'spumante' and the 'cava' Catalan.

Having observed the tendancy of the champagne wines to foam spontaneously, discovered that by adding a determined amount of sugar to the new wine guarenteed this efervecence.

But the finding could not be applied without an efficient stopper, watertight and also waterproof, that is interchangeable with the gasses. In effect, without corks today we could not have champagne.

Catalonia was the worldwide industrial centre of bottlestops during the 18th and 19th century, leadership that they had to share with Portugal at the end of the last century and with Sardinia since the first third of the 20th century.

Before making the stoppers, you have to learn the other previous operations. The "pannes" of cork are transported from the forest to the factory. It starts with boiling until all the sap and tannic acid has been eliminated, increasing the flexibility and possibility to straighten it. Next the "toscador" using an axe takes off the rough and rigid parts of the "pannes".

The cork is classified by thickness and quality, and sliced in strips (shortened and diced, when the corks are made by hand), then starts the work of the "corkers", or more correctly said the operation of the machinery. Remaining still the cleaning of the cork stoppers and the stamping of the brand name.

Today the cork industry in Catalonia is concentrated in a few towns in the Girona region : Cassà de la Selva, Santa Coloma de Farners, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Vidreres and Palafrugell. As much the stoppers of the bottles of wine, like the bottles of champagne, are made by machines. Before the craftsmanship of the "corkers" of which in Tossa there were many. The "corkers" ("tapers") were educated people, and during the work period talked of many things or listened to books beeing read.

The stoppers for fizzy wines had a more complex composition than normal stoppers. Formerly the stoppers of the "cava" were made totally from natural cork, but now in reality they are made one part aglomerate (the upper part of the stopper) and another composed of discs of natural cork (the lower part of the stopper that has contact with the liquid). The aglomerate is made by gluing together the crumbs of the cork.

Actually you can visit in the city of Palafrugell the Evergreen Cork’s Museum.