"Then and Now": Grape Crushing and Port Wine.

Port wine is a fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley in Portugal. Here is a little photo journal showing how the grapes for port wine were crushed a century ago and how they are crushed today. There is nothing like enjoying a glass of Port - especially on a cool winters evening.


THEN ...

A century and more ago, grape crushing was done by foot stomping. It was a joyous time not only celebrating the crushing of the grapes but the economical returns the harvest of that year would bring to the community. As the image depicts, music and song accompanied the long hours of work.













Wines were kept in large demijohns insulated by weaved wicker or grass. These containers were plugged with natural corks hand cut directly from the bark of cork oak trees.



















.... and NOW

Today the crush stompers of the past are replaced by metal robotic "feet", operated by turning on a power switch. It is certainly an easier and more controlled operation but has lost the romanticism of earlier generations. Nevertheless the end of the harvest season today is still celebrated with music and song in most wine regions of the world.













Natural cork stoppers, whether as straight wine corks or corks with plastic tops attached to them as shown in this image, remain the choice of most wineries. An estimated 14 billion straight natural wine corks are used annually today.

Jelinek Cork annual convention in beautiful Portugal

This year's annual Jelinek Cork Group convention was held in Northern Portugal. What a beautiful place! We were rewarded with some magnificent sites and experiences. Here are just a few images:












Grapevines form intriguing patterns along the Douro River in Portugal.














Cork oak trees and grape vines share the Portuguese countryside. As the saying goes, "Cork is to wine as the earth is to the vine". An obvious lifelong affair... cork and wine. Foreground in this image is a cork tree overlooking the fall colors of the Douro Valley vineyards.














Barrels of aging port wine stoppered with natural corks. Port wine has been produced for more than 400 years in the north of Portugal along the rocky mountainsides of the Douro River. Despite the adventurous driving experience (one can take the calmer river boat route) the excursion is well worth it.

Sonny Jelinek at the Cork House Decorating BIG with GlamaMama

Looking for design ideas for your home? Check out "Decorating Big with GlamaMama" as she tours the Cork House and shows how beautiful cork is in a home.

The Cork House - your one stop shop to eco-friendly home design

Jelinek Cork's unique showroom in Oakville, Ontario has recently been redecorated. The walls have been painted with C2's low-VOC paint, the kitchen has a beautiful new back splash made of Jelinek cork mosaic, American Clay has been applied to accent walls, plus the cork floors look fabulous. All these products and many, many more are available at the Cork House and most can be custom designed to meet your needs.
Cork upholstered furniture - the cork can be stained to
match any decor.












Cork upholstered head board and duvet cover. In the background
the chairs are made with cork upholstery as well.











From Icestone recycled glass & concrete countertops, to Jelinek cork wall & ceiling coverings, from unique gift items made of cork to one-of-a-kind pieces of art created by local artisans, if you're looking to decorate, the Cork House has it all - its the one stop shop for eco-friendly home design.

For hours and directions to the Cork House visit: http://corkhouse.com/

Business as usual at Jelinek Cork despite fire at one location.

Jelinek Cork Group experienced a major fire at one of our three Ontario facilities. Our other two locations have immediately been activated to handle the overload from the damaged premises until such time that repairs will be completed. Although there may be some short delays of supply and services over the next week, business in the most part will continue as usual at Jelinek Cork.

Suberite - The cork-based paint

Cork with all its amazing natural qualities works great inside the home as flooring, wall & ceiling coverings, even furniture but have you ever thought of it on the outside of your home? If not, you should. In fact, think of it for any surface in your home - inside and outside walls, ceilings, roofs, deck, patios, etc. If you think about it cork has all the natural properties of that perfect outer layer. Its the bark, or skin, of the tree protecting the valuable inside while allowing it to breath. It protects, insulates and seals and is very resistant. Cork is fire resistant, does not release any toxic gases. It insulates against temperature - both hot and cold. It seals better than any other man-made or natural product - hence the champagne bottles sealed in the 1780s that were discovered under the sea recently - the champagne was still bubbly and tasty and the bottle was sealed with a natural cork. It is these characteristics that make cork the ideal material for builders.

I'd like to introduce you to Suberite. If you've never heard of it, you soon will. Its basically a skin for your home. Its paint that is cork and water resin based - 80% of it being cork. It is applied to the outside or inside of homes and buildings creating a breathable, waterproof and thermic layer. It is resistant to seat salt, fungi and UV rays. Regardless of the outside temperature, Suberite maintains a constant inside temperature. Put it on paths, walk ways and patios - it is antislip!

In the above image, the walls and the pathway are both Suberite.

The pathway to this office building is Suberite.










Installing Suberite inside a home.












If you have any questions about this fantastic product, Suberite, please contact us: cork@jelinek.com -- 1-800-959-0995

Fishing with ... cork?

We're well into the long, lazy, hazy days of summer and what better way to spend the day than on the water fishing for that perfect fish. So how does cork play a part of this you may ask? Follow the pictures below for a few of the ways:

Heading out fishing? Don't forget your lure. Keep it safe and inside its container using a natural tapered cork stopper. Its cork - it can get 'stabbed' without any damage.












As you're packing your tackle, don't forget your floats. Cork fishing floats come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors:












How about a cork 'bug'. Walt's poppers are hand-made using a carefully selected cork body.









Cork fishing rod handles:
The light weight and durability of cork combined with custom shaping make cork grips the top choice for fishing rods.



















More interested in making your own cork fishing rod handle. Use natural cork rings.









Have you ever dropped your keys in the water or worried about dropping them in the water? You can give yourself piece of mind with a cork key chain - created with the boater in mind, these cork key chains float (made of solid cork).








Happy Fishing!