Cork has been used for thousands of years as a stopper in bottles. It has even been found in the tombs dating back to ancient Egypt. Ancient Greeks and Romans also made good use of it, and it was found use as floats for fishing nets, sandals, wine bottle stoppers and even personal flotation devices for fishermen.

In the early 21st century, the problem of cork taint became prevalent, leading many producers to stop using corks in favor of alternatives. Screw caps became especially prominent in Australia and New Zealand by 2010. Most cork was sourced from around the Mediterranean Basin, far from the Oceanian countries.

This ensures that the corks get enough moisture to lubricate their passage through the corker, but not so wet that the corks will crumble apart. While some books talk about boiling and long soaking corks in a sulfite solution, we do not recommend it.

Cork is hard to get because it is a natural material that is only found in certain parts of the world. It is also difficult to harvest and process.