Wine cork

A wine cork is a stopper used to seal a wine bottle. They are typically made from cork (bark of the cork oak), though synthetic materials such as rubber or plastic can be used. Common alternative wine closures include screw caps and glass stoppers. 68 percent of all cork is produced for wine bottle stoppers.

Corks are manufactured for wines and sparkling wines; the latter are bottled under pressure, forcing the corks to take on a mushroom shape. They are fastened with a wire cage known as a muselet of wire, and this twisted wire structure is usually accompanied by a metal cap on which the brand logo is normally stamped, and in the case of champagne bottles it is often covered with metallic foil.