Cork Harvest in Spain

ALCALA DE LOS GAZULES, SPAIN - JULY 02: A waiter removes the cork from a bottle of wine at a bar on July 2, 2013 in Alcala de los Gazules, Spain. Spain and Portugal are the largest producers of cork in the world with Los Alcornocales Natural Park in the Iberian Peninsula being the leading region for production. The ancient cork cultivated in these oak forests is a major world export, financially benefitting the region. The bark from the oak is harvested every nine years, through traditional methods. The best planks are sourced for wine bottling corks while the rest is processed into agglomerate cork. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)