WHAT IS A CORKED WINE

A corked wine is not a wine which has pieces of cork floating around in it. Those pieces of cork are harmless and may be removed by straining of simply removing them from the glass.

Many wine drinkers might not spot a faulty/corked bottle right away — the aroma will grow in the glass. So, even if they have consumed some of the bottle, it might take time for them to notice a problem.

On red wines the colour may be a redish brown.

On white wines the colour may be an off brown/yellowish

Be on the lookout for that dank mustiness first, and then if that is not present, taste the wine.

It can taste like vinegar.

Does it have a favorable impression of fruit or is it lackluster and dull?

Faulty Wine Quality Terminology

Cork taint or Corkiness also known as Trichloranisole (TCA).

TCA is not a winemaking defect. Rather, it is attributed to impurities in the cork due to compounds absorbed by the tree or used in the processing of cork. TCA is also called “cork taint,” and can be described as smelling damp, musty, and dusty. Very low levels of TCA will rob the fruitiness of a wine, even though the wine might not taste or smell musty.

Memorise the smell and have your waiting staff do the same by getting them to smell and taste any returned bottles.

Many guests might not spot a tainted bottle right away — the aroma will grow in the glass. So, even if they have consumed some of the bottle, it might take time for them to notice a problem.

Be on the lookout for the dank mustiness first, and then if that is not present, taste the wine. Does it have a favorable impression of fruit or it is lackluster and dull?

A good rule of thumb: The more you smell and taste, the more trained your senses will be.

Volatile acidity (VA).

All wines have volatile flavor compounds and volatile acids — but when used pejoratively it denotes a wine that is “heady.” I liken the condition to nail polish; in fact, you see VA more often in wines with high alcohol content. In the case of ports, some Australian Shiraz, and other reds from southerly hot climates, this is not a fault, but merely an incidence of the variety and growing conditions.

Oxidation.

Recall the smell of sherry — that is purposeful oxidation. If you get that aroma from a red or white table wine, it may have been subjected to oxidation in its production, or has been stored in a dry environment allowing air to penetrate the cork. The term “maderised” is synonymous with oxidation, but generally refers to white wines. A red wine that is brownish around the edges way before its time could be oxidized, as could be a white wine that is darker than it should be for its type.

Acetic.

Acetic acid is the fancy name for vinegar. A wine that goes beyond oxidation is acetic — literally breaking down and turning into a vinegar-like substance.

Sulphur dioxide.

Sulphur acts as an antioxidant and antiseptic and is used to sanitize winemaking equipment and also to kill off the wild yeasts and bacteria present on the grape. Some mass-produced, less expensive whites with residual sugar may be dosed with sulfur to keep them from re-fermenting in the bottle. Fortunately, much less sulphur is used in quality winemaking today. It will typically dissipate after being swirled in the glass, but it is something to which asthmatics can have an adverse reaction. Sulphur is the same smell as to that of when a match is struck. 

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