Corked!
Part of a proper wine presentation includes pouring a small amount into a glass for the consumer to taste. Most of us know that we are making sure that the wine isn't "corked" but do we really know what we are looking for? None of us wants to appear a fool, and it isn't always okay to send back an expensive bottle just because we didn't like it. So how do you know if a wine is corked?
First, let me spend a moment describing what "corked" really means. A wine that has suffered corking or cork taint (Wiki) has been infected with a type of fungus that produces a substance known as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). Chloroanisole is often present in the cork, and TCA in wine is often blamed on a faulty cork, although it can happen in other ways as well (like improper handling, transportation, etc).
The easiest way to tell if a wine is corked is to smell it - a corked wine smells strongly of wet newspaper or cardboard. Now I should caution that there are a large number of other smells that wine carries, and the wet paper smell is but one, although it will probably be the predominant smell. If you are still not sure if a wine is corked, taste it! In my experience, corked wine tastes very spicy and dirty and sometimes extremely fruity - like bad wine!
The good news is that corked wine is completely harmless (other than a bit of strong breath, a lighter wallet and a bad impression). Last night I opened a $10 bottle of California Cabernet which smelled okay (not great). I took a taste and instantly new that something was amiss. I still suffered through a glass, but if I had purchased this in a restaurant I'd send it back.
First, let me spend a moment describing what "corked" really means. A wine that has suffered corking or cork taint (Wiki) has been infected with a type of fungus that produces a substance known as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). Chloroanisole is often present in the cork, and TCA in wine is often blamed on a faulty cork, although it can happen in other ways as well (like improper handling, transportation, etc).
The easiest way to tell if a wine is corked is to smell it - a corked wine smells strongly of wet newspaper or cardboard. Now I should caution that there are a large number of other smells that wine carries, and the wet paper smell is but one, although it will probably be the predominant smell. If you are still not sure if a wine is corked, taste it! In my experience, corked wine tastes very spicy and dirty and sometimes extremely fruity - like bad wine!
The good news is that corked wine is completely harmless (other than a bit of strong breath, a lighter wallet and a bad impression). Last night I opened a $10 bottle of California Cabernet which smelled okay (not great). I took a taste and instantly new that something was amiss. I still suffered through a glass, but if I had purchased this in a restaurant I'd send it back.
posted by Kristian Twombly at 11:47 AM
2 Comments:
I learned something from your explanation. One question: When the somalier (don't think I've ever had a real somalier, only a standard-issue waiter or waitress)presents the cork for my inspection, what am I supposed to do with it, and why?
Make that "sommelier."
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