We received the idoneità – the final approval of our 2006 Brunello - and can proceed with our plans to bottle this vintage soon.I have just ordered the corks. We use natural unbleached cork grown in Italy.  Bleached corks have peroxides in contact with the wine that can reduce the SO2 content, thus weakening the structure of the wine. Natural cork is harvested from the bark of cork oaks. The process does not harm the trees but it does provide some of the world’s best paid agricultural jobs.We have been working with a company called Quimar for the last 15 years. The business was started by Matteo Tamponi in 1905 and is in Sardinia. Their Tuscan agent, Marcello Tamponi, usually brings me a wheel of wonderful Sardinian pecorino cheese when he deliver the corks, an added bonus to a mutually satisfying collaboration. Quimar were actually the first cork producer in Italy to obtain the ISO 14001 environmental certification (more details on their website  www.quimar.it). They make a total of 20 million natural pieces per year and would describe themselves as a “piccolo di qualità”. In Montalcino they also work with Val di Cava.The cork is a terrifically important part of the packaging since we want to avoid the problems of cork taint for our customers. Each cork costs nearly as much as an espresso. We consider this a good investment, particularly since our Brunellos are destined to benefit from long cellar ageing.We open a lot of bottles on site and are in close contact with most of our private clients so I can say from personal experience that our experience of cork taint is almost non-existent. This is partly to do with Quimar’s production controls in an external laboratory so as to detect cork taint before the corks are made. They guarantee a tolerance of maximum 1%.  Cork taint, caused by the compound TCA, is formed by a reaction between a penicillium mould in the crevices of the cork and the chlorine-containing chemicals used in most sterilising processes. Quimar use a particular sterilising process that uses gamma rays rather than chemicals, thus further reducing the incidence of TCA.Time for some eco-preaching.Natural cork embodies sustainability. It creates a commercial incentive for the sustainable stewardship of the Mediterranean cork oak forests, which trap carbon emissions just as rainforest do, while providing one of the world's richest ecosystems.  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has estimated that up to three quarters of the Mediterranean's cork forests could be lost within 10 years if the trend for plastic stoppers and screw tops continues. These forests provide the habitat for a huge number of endangered and protected species including the Iberian lynx. Read more hereScrew-caps produce nearly 24 times as much greenhouse gases, plastic stoppers nearly ten times as much. For more facts and statistics about the marvels of cork, do consult www.100percentcork.orgAs well as being biodegradable, natural cork can also be recycled. Lucky Americans can donate their corks to be turned into shoe-soles... To find a location near you http://recork.org/get-involved/locations/ I must admit I long for something like this to start in Europe. Of course the craft possibilities for corks are endless; from napkin rings, frames, key-chains and birdhouses. Diedra Craig at www.corkeycreations.com uses either recycled corks (and she accepts donations) or factory seconds that would otherwise be thrown out, for her beautiful pieces. My favourite are the place-holders; they almost made me wish I wasn’t already married so I could have them at my wedding….