Inside, the car takes on a different texture entirely. Wotherspoon layers the cabin with vintage Levi’s denim, corduroy, and flannel, fabrics sourced from garments dating back to the 1960s. ‘It’s all made with vintage Levi’s denim and flannel shirts,’ he continues. ‘I also used some corduroy in there because it’s one of my favorite materials, and the cork dashboard is also really special. The cork was leftover from the Taycan project, so it has a little bit of modern Porsche running through it.’

When does an object stop becoming simply furniture and when does it become cherished, loved, a keepsake? A strong factor is longevity, childhood chairs, tables, and art sparking memories long buried. Cork represents this almost symbiotic relationship aptly, illustrating a material that doesn’t require the felling of trees, allowing them to live on. In turn, as the forest takes care of us, we must take care of the forest. This circular relationship speaks to responsible stewardship practices, essential in the coming decades. Source material for the pieces featured in Forest for the Trees ranges from reclaimed wine corks to discarded building material, insulation, and upcycled skateboards.

There will likely always be debates between the use of cork versus screw cap, glass and other enclosures. This time we take an in depth look at cork as Patrick Spencer, Executive Director of the Natural Cork Council is our guest this week. Cork is simply amazing and even better it is good for the earth and good for wine. There is nothing like the sound of cracking a bottle with a cork.

The team was in for a real surprise when they carried out a so-called pyrotechnic test, which simulates a battery fire. The cork-insulated enclosure withstood battery fire conditions exceeding more than 2,372 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius).

During the same simulations, the Bio!Lib case maintained structural integrity and kept the temperature on the opposite side of the fire about 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) cooler than Tesla’s aluminum enclosure.

Is cork helping to decarbonise the wine industry? Corticeira Amorim, the world leader in cork stoppers, explains how innovation and nature combine to deliver stoppers with a negative carbon footprint.

Portuguese winemakers are increasingly turning to local oak for aging their wines, marking a shift from the traditional reliance on French and American oak barrels. This trend reflects a growing focus on terroir and authenticity in Portuguese wine production. Historically, Portuguese oak was mainly used for aging Port and other fortified wines. Now, more table wine producers are experimenting with this native wood.