While the cork is one of the many historically versatile materials that has been used for thousands of years as a stopper in bottles, ancient Greeks and Romans also made good use of it as floats for fishing nets, sandals, wine bottle stoppers and even personal flotation devices for fishermen. As late as the mid-17th century, French vintners did not use cork stoppers, using instead oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles. In the 18th century, while in England…
