The cork... For more than 5,000 years, it has been used for its qualities. Light, imputrescible, waterproof, resistant, it obstructs while allowing the inner liquid to breathe, an unparalleled virtue that the winemakers will one day appreciate!

In Pompeii, Rome, amphores were found which probably contained wine and whose neck was closed by a « piece » cork. In which period the « stopper » cork? Hard to say.

Over time, cork will be used in areas where there is no suspicion of its presence, such as aeronautics, automobiles, civil engineering... Fashion accessories, eco-friendly furniture! For a long time, it will be the indispensable accessory for the angler who for hours monitor the oscillations of his cap! (button now made from polystyrene).

– And our cork oaks in all this?

Patience... They're coming!

The cork oak is cultivated in full sun and heat, in a rather poor, acidic, sandy soil, especially not limestone or too humid.  That's if he's happy in our south! The water needed for all life, it draws from its roots that sink deep into the ground. He does not like the cold: a -5°C for several days can be fatal.

If one finds it in China, in Persia, it is around the Mediterranean basin that he loves to live and especially in Portugal: it is present on 736 000 ha [a production of 160 000 tonnes/year of cork] whereas in France it is present on 736 000 ha [a production of 160 000 tonnes/year of cork].  Only 100,000 ha are occupied, mainly in the Moors and Esterel [4,000 tonnes/year].

And here's how sharp they are!

One sees a pointed of pescadous, professional fishermen, back to port and cork harvested in the Esterel and the Moors, waiting to be boarded on a cargo ship... Unless it's cork coming from elsewhere to be transformed into local corks, Fréjus, the Muy, Vidauban, Gonfaron, forgets.

Varietal cork oak suffered greatly from successive fires and the tonnage of cork harvested between June and August fell. Few forest owners in the country manage their sub-forest (cork oak forest) which has sometimes become inaccessible.

I give an example among others... Mine! I no longer have access to the family forest of the Scaillon in the Moors (comune of Roquebrune). The cart road that is not present on the cadastre has been barred by villa owners. Go and make them understand that any property must have an access path.

The cargo ships no longer dock in Saint-Raphael but some pescadous are still there. They have a new fish market that welcomes guests in the morning.

Instead of these cork piles, the captainry was erected. The port has been completely restructured to accommodate pleasure boats of all sizes, including huge yachts. The pleasure had the wind in stern since to the west of this port was created Port Fréjus and to the east that of Santa Lucia... These three marinas are less than 2 km from each other.