CORUCHE, Portugal — The rhythmic noise of axes whacking trees echoes in the depths of the cork oak forest.But in Coruche, a rural area south of the Tagus River known as Portugal’s “cork capital,” the bang of trees falling to the ground doesn’t follow the sound of the ax strokes. Instead, experienced workers carefully peel away the bark from the tree trunks.This annual rite of extracting cork in the summer months has been around for thousands of years in the western Mediterranean. Egyptians, Pers...