By now you know my brain wanders all over the place…take cork for an example, today’s subject!  I was at one of my new most favorite restaurants, MARISOL www.marisolhicago.com at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.  The Museum is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary, more on that in a future post.  Back to Marisol….I have been waiting for it to open for months and anticipated a new neighborhood place to hang out and I have definitely found it!  Love the atmosphere, the staff, headed by General Manager, Sarah Martins, is amazing, they are courteous, remember your name after one visit (what??????) and smile, what a concept, and the food, yes. the food is beyond yummy.  More on this new place in yet another post, fingers crossed that Chef Jason Hammel will share a recipe or two with us.  Wait, isn’t this post about cork, you ask, yes it is!  Here is why.

My wine buddies joined me one evening and we were having our wine when Jason, our server extraordinaire, asked if we didn’t want a bottle with our dinner, we, of course, agreed, why not…it was a lovely Gamay.  Jason opened the bottle, presented me with the cork and the first sip to taste.  Looking at the cork, I decided that I needed to do a post on cork…of course, I did.  I explained to Jason and my dinner friends that is how my crazy mind works.  It brought to my mind the reason you are handed the cork, most certainly not to sniff it unless you want to have the smell of “cork”!  It is to let you know that the cork has the name of the winemaker/vineyard on it ad that it matches what you have ordered.  In years long gone, labels became illegible but the cork with its brand endured.   There is a great article on the website VinePair in their Wine Geekly posts on “What To Do With The Cork When Your Server Presents It!” Go to their site if you want to learn more, www.vinepair.com

I then, of course, started researching cork and where it comes from, actually from the cork oak from Southwest Europe and Northwest Africa, the bark is harvested, the trees are not cut down.  Cork is used in approximately 60% of all wine corks, you now can find synthetic corks and screw tops.  It is also used in musical instruments, flooring, wall covering, the interior cores of baseballs (who knew!!!) etc. etc. etc. In my life, my Father’s drawing board was topped with cork as was his inspiration wall (great for tacking bits and pieces) in his at-home studio.

As the bark looks before it is harvested.

The look of the pressed cork that would have been on my Father’s drawing board and wall.

Let’s look at a few decorative ways to use corks, I love to collect them on trips (use to do match boxes but who has those anymore!!!!) here are some ways you can use them in your home.

Champagne corks for this chandelier.

Of course a book on the subject, you know me and books, To Cork or Not to Cork by George M. Faber.

A couple of games…

And in fashion…

The Nike LeBron 12 EXT “King’s Cork” shoe from the Nike website.

The iconic Salvatore Ferragamo cork and suede wedge made for Judy Garland in 1938.  It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections.

Dutch designer, Jan Taminian cork platform boots worn by Lady Gaga

Two exquisite headpieces by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen worn by Isabella Blow.

This movie has very little to do with cork but it is one of my favorites and I adored Alan Rickman in anything and he is superb in this film, I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it or see it again!

I could easily go on for pages, which I usually do, there are so many images on Pinterest and online that it is hard to stop but stop I shall.  Look for yourselves who knows you might get inspired to do a cork craft after you have opened your own bottle of wine, looked at the brand on the cork and enjoyed a glass or two!

All photos, unless otherwise noted, from Pinterest photo credits unknown.