What is corked wine?

Who's to blame?

Cork is a condition in which the wine is spoiled by fungus. It is caused by an infection of the cork that is used to seal the wine. The main culprit is TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), a chemical compound. It can occur in natural corks through the interaction of chlorine and mold. It is usually transmitted to wine through the cork with which the wine is sealed. As a result, we close the wine with a cork; we even store it horizontally if possible. Wine and cork in close contact! TCA can also occur in other areas of the winery. Damp areas and chlorine-containing cleaners increase the risk. That's why wineries have even switched from chlorine cleaners to peroxide and other cleaners. You see, the situation is serious. We didn't hear the word "corked" for nothing.

Illustration: Ester Saba

How can you recognize corked wine?

By the smell. First of all, the fruity and floral scents disappear. There is no trace of the red fruits and flowers you expect. You are left with a flat nose, even exposed to dampness. The wine smells damp like wet newspaper, cork, wet carpet, wet cloth, wet rags. Ventilate as much as you like, this smell will not come out of the wine. Therefore, it is already undrinkable. If you have such an experience, it means you have opened a bottle of corked.

So how does this affect our lives?

Let's say you go to a restaurant. The wine is opened, first it is sniffed. Actually, the first reason for this is to see if the wine is corked. If it is faulty, it is not served. Or you bought your wine and opened it at home. You smell something in the direction I mentioned, then you slowly put the bottle on the table, you don't drink it. It's not easy to experiment with this; you need to come across a wine that's not quite right. If you do, pay attention and see if you take these notes.

Wine faults and flaws are a very broad topic, and as you can imagine, wine faults are not just about the bourbon. I will share it from time to time, if there is a specific error/defect you are curious about, you can message me.