Ghost Maple Napa Cork Trivet

Look at that rippling flame figure

We recently went to Napa and tasted a whole lot of really good wine (as ya do). I snagged corks from the places we stopped, and eventually put them together into this trivet.

Details after the jump...

You can get a good look at both the rippling "flame" and the green-gray "ghost" figure in this picture

The whole project is simple. I used a piece of maple with both excellent flame figure and some ghost figure as well. The frame is mitered around a center comprised of wine corks from our trip. The corks sit higher than the frame, which keeps the hot things from touching the wood (or more specifically the wood's finish).

The corks are a higher surface than the maple frame

Keeping hot things from directly touching the wood is important not because the ghost maple can't be exposed to high temperatures, but because varnish doesn't like high temperatures. I used a polyurethane finish, because poly has a higher tolerance for heat than do other types of finish, but it's still a good idea not to put hot pots directly on the poly finish.

Each cork is a championship...

I like the corks themselves as well. I love good wine. We went on a trip through Napa tasting great wine, so these corks tell a story that's relatable to us. Aside from the personal connection to these corks and vineyards, the aesthetic is pleasing. Used corks are irregular, stained with red wine in places, bulging from pressure in others, and come in varying sizes. It comes together to be a rustic complement to a shiny maple frame. It looks like it belongs in a kitchen, which is a good thing... because it does.

... a delicious, delicious, championship

I'd be happy to make a wine cork trivet for you, all you have to do is ask.