- [Narrator] Cork.

It's the miracle tree bark that's found

in everything from baseball bats to spaceships.

But it's best known as the last obstacle

in your journey to drink wine.

Yes, sometimes de-corking can feel like a chore.

No, I'm not talking about popping open a wine bottle.

I'm talking about how cork is harvested

in the first place by these guys.

Manual cork harvesters in Portugal.

It's a job so difficult and yet so artful,

machines have yet to render it obsolete.

(upbeat music)

Welcome to Portugal where cork is the national tree.

Cork is native to the Mediterranean basin,

but nowhere does it grow more than here.

- [Narrator] Since cork trees can live for 200 years,

Goncalo's trees are the exact same trees his parents,

grandparents, and great grandparents also cared for.

(upbeat music)

(calm music)

- [Narrator] Once a tree is harvested,

it won't be cut again for another nine years.

This keeps the bark healthy

and the harvest tradition alive for the generations to come.

(calm music)