How is wine corked

Obviously, we know how the cork industry feels. But seriously, can no one really tell us how prevalent corked wines are? Well, back in , our own Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle wrote , "The cork industry finds that TCA contaminates a very small number of corks, less than one percent improved quality controls have helped in recent years. But winemakers tend to find the prevalence to be much higher, from three to five percent.

What no one disagrees on is that some percentage of corks are tainted. By Mike Pomranz Updated October 06, Save FB Tweet More. All rights reserved. We are not losing money when you return bad bottles; we are gaining a stronger and healthier relationship with a guest.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: Drinks Ask a Somm. New, 2 comments. Pocket Flipboard Email. Q: How do I know if a wine is corked? Have a wine-related question you'd like answered? Hit the comments. More From Eater. Sign up for the Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Thanks for signing up!

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Loading comments The Latest. By Madeleine Davies. Your wine may also taste a bit off from overheating in storage or during transport, in which case it would taste like almonds or candied fruits.

For more tips, like how to remove actual pieces of cork, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow.

Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Smell the wine. It may smell musty, or like dank towels, wet dog, wet cardboard or newspaper. Trust your first whiff! Wine becomes corked when it is exposed to TCA or "2,4,6-Trichloroanisole", a naturally occurring compound that may be found in the cork of the wine bottle.

Taste the wine. If the wine has only been exposed to a small amount of TCA, it may be difficult to decide for sure whether or not it is corked by smelling it alone.

The taste of the wine will be dull and will not exhibit any fruit characteristics. Some people also describe corked wine as tasting astringent. If you did taste it, and it is corked, the taste was probably quite unenjoyable.

It may have even tasted reminiscent of paint thinner. Rinse your mouth out with water, and open up a new bottle. Always test the wine before allowing it to be served to others. This allows the host to see if the wine is fit for consumption and prevents pouring the wine into many glasses before a discovery that the wine is not fit for drinking. Return your corked wine to the store you purchased it from for a replacement or a refund. If you are in a restaurant and you purchase a bottle of wine, make sure the waiter allows you to taste the wine before serving any other guests at the table.

Avoid confusing corked wine with other problems. There may be other culprits that have ruined the taste of your wine.