If there’s a sound ripe with promise, I’d have to say it’s that satisfying “pop” when a hibernating wine cork begrudgingly enters the world grasped in the spiral of a corkscrew. It never fails to make me smile! A perfunctory sniff before uncoiling from its captor, and the faithful guardian of the vintage is tossed aside with nary a thought. 

Have you ever experienced curiosity about that small but mighty piece of cork, other than perhaps admiring the décor stamped on its side? There’s a wonderful story rich in history, patience, and artisanal skill behind each one of these practical keepers of the wine; our version starts on Italy’s rugged, stunningly beautiful island of Sardinia.