Other than hair appearing in food, perhaps, there is no greater disappointment than ordering an expensive bottle of wine in a fine dining experience, only to later discover that it tastes weird.
But don’t panic. Corked wine is a natural, yet annoying phenomenon. And since a guess 1% to 7% of bottles are corkedChances are you’ll meet one at some point in your lifetime.
What is corked wine?
“Corked wine is caused by a compound called trichloroanisole, or TCA, which contaminates the cork, bottle or wine during harvest, production or even shipping,” said Vinny Miliano, bar manager of Famous. Waldorf Astoria Chicago,
TCA is often present as a fungus in cork, but may also be present in pesticides, preservatives, and cleaning products found in wineries. Barrels and cardboard boxes can also be sources of “contamination”, even when high quality control standards are rigorously enforced.
“It is not harmful to consume corked wine, but it is certainly not pleasant to drink and will definitely spoil the experience,” Miliano said.
Despite the temporary awkwardness and disruption of dinner service, it’s OK to send back something that doesn’t taste good. After all, if you’re spending your hard-earned money to treat yourself or a loved one, you wouldn’t want the evening to go sour, right? Tart,
We asked Miliano as well as beverage operations manager Courtney Cheney ocean dominantTo explain how to tell if a wine is corked and the proper protocol for flagging the problem with the sommelier or server. (For more wine tips, read a sommelier’s best tips for finding budget bottles and see how to properly store every type of opened wine.)
How to tell if a wine is corked?
Corked wine may smell musty, like wet cardboard or a wet basement.
There are usually two immediate indicators to detect that a wine is corked: aroma and taste. “Corked wine usually smells like wet cardboard, mustiness or a wet cellar,” Miliano said. “If you taste it, you’ll notice that the flavor may be bland or unpleasant, lacking the expected fruitiness and structure.”
Cheney echoes these exact descriptions, saying that the flavor of corked wines will also be “flat with a distinct astringency in severe cases that will also lack fruit.”
And while one might assume that some tannin-heavy varieties are more prone to corking than others, TCA does not discriminate. “However, cork taint is easier to identify in unaged wines, due to the more powerful aromatics that come with oak aging,” Cheney said. “This is (also) more likely to occur in traditionally corked wines.”
read more, We Asked a Wine Professional If Open Red Wine Lasts Longer in the Fridge
How to send back corked wine
If you encounter a corked bottle, a trained wine professional or bar manager can remedy that unfortunate situation. “The best approach is the simplest,” Miliano said. “Politely inform your server or sommelier. No offense will be taken and most hospitality professionals are trained to handle the situation gracefully.”
This may involve tasting the wine itself before replacing the bottle or glass. If you are not completely sure, you can also rely on their experts for clarification and/or final confirmation.
“I had this whole once-wonderful Rioja thing completely screwed up,” said Miliano, who also says there’s no need to “feel embarrassed or angry” in the moment. Quality verification is only one part of the process and is an important step to determine if excess inventory is affected.
“You can also check the cork, which should be presented to you when your server opens the bottle,” Cheney said. “If it smells musty and musty, it’s probably clogged.” Of course, if there is any conflict, bring it up to the restaurant managers or owners after your meal. This can be done via email to avoid conflicts.
read more, 7 Surprising Recipes You Can Add Wine To
nothing about alcohol
Any restaurant worth its salt will replace a corked bottle with a good one for free.
Cheney summed up the concept of wine corking best: “Cork taint is a naturally occurring defect in wine, so most restaurants will replace the bottle with no questions asked or charge.”
Although an aggressive sip may sound ominous, remember that it is probably the worst thing that will happen to you that day. Accept it, say something about it and move on. It’s no one’s fault (not even the brewer’s) and you deserve a stress-free, delicious meal that’s worth every dollar you spend.