An Expert Explains How to Tell When Wine Is Corked (and What to Do About It)
When a server offers you a taste of freshly picked wine, the point is not whether you like the taste, but whether it has gone bad.
Corked wine is estimated to be a natural but annoying phenomenon 1% to 7% of bottles are corked – You will most likely meet someone like this at some point in your life. Knowing how to spot a bad bottle of wine will save you from spending money on wine.
To make corked wine leaner, we turned to the experts for advice.
What is corked wine?
“Corked wine is caused by a compound called trichloroanisole (TCA), which can contaminate the cork, bottle, or the wine itself during harvesting, production, and even shipping,” noted bar manager Vinnie Mealy Vinnie Miliano said. Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
TCA is usually found in cork in its fungal form, but can also be found in pesticides, preservatives and cleaning products in wineries. Even if quality control standards are strictly enforced, drums and cardboard boxes can become sources of “contamination.”
Migliano added: “There is no harm in drinking corked wine, but it is certainly unpleasant to drink and it certainly detracts from the experience.”
Despite the temporary embarrassment and disruption to dinner service, it’s okay to send something back if it doesn’t taste up to par. After all, if you’re spending your hard-earned money to treat yourself and your loved ones, you don’t want the night to go by, well, sour.
We asked Miliano and Beverage Operations Manager Courtney Cheney ocean premierexplains how to tell if a wine is corked, and the proper protocol for flagging questions to your sommelier or server. (For more wine tips, read sommeliers’ top tips for finding cheap wine and learn how to properly store each type of open wine.)
How to tell if a wine is corked
Corked wine may smell like wet cardboard or the musty smell of a damp basement.
There are generally two direct indicators of whether a wine has been corked: aroma and taste. “Corked wine will often have off-flavors, like wet cardboard, musty, or like a damp basement,” Migliano says. “If you taste it, you’ll notice the flavor can be bland. Or unpleasant, lacking expected fruitiness and structure.”
Cheney echoed these exact descriptions, adding that corked wines can also taste “bland, severely astringent, and lacking in fruitiness.”
Although one might assume that certain varieties with higher tannin content are more prone to corking than others, TCA does not discriminate. “However, cork taint is easier to identify in unoaked wines because of the more intense aromatics produced during the oak aging process,” says Cheney. “This is also more likely to occur in wines that use traditional corks.”
Read more: We asked wine professionals whether open bottles of red wine last longer in the refrigerator
How to send back corked wine
If you stumble upon a corked bottle, a trained wine professional or bar manager may be able to rectify the unfortunate situation. “The best way is the simplest,” Miliano said. “Politely notify your server or sommelier. This will not be offended, and most hotel professionals are trained to handle this situation gracefully.”
This may include tasting the wine in person before changing the bottle or glass. You can also rely on their expert taste for explanation and/or final confirmation if you’re not entirely sure.
“I once had a whole case of wonderful Rioja wine that was completely corked,” Miliano said, adding that there was no need to “feel embarrassed or angry” at the moment. Quality verification is only one part of the process and an important step in determining whether additional inventory has been affected.
“You can also check for the cork, which the server should present to you when opening the bottle,” Cheney added. “If it smells musty and damp, it’s probably corked.” Of course, if there is any type of resistance, report it to your superior restaurant manager or owner after your meal. This can be done via email to avoid confrontation.
Read more: 7 Surprising Recipes You Can Add Wine to
nothing to drink
Any restaurant worth its salt will replace the bottle with a quality cork for free.
Cheney explains the concept of wine corks best: “Cork taint is a naturally occurring defect in wine, so most restaurants will replace the bottle without further questions or charges.”
While aggressive sipping can bring misfortune, remember that it could be the worst thing that happens to you that day. Accept it, say something, and move on. It’s no one’s fault (not even the winemaker’s) and you deserve a stress-free, delicious meal that’s worth every penny.
