What is corked wine?
I opened a bottle of red wine today and the cork was half stained; little pieces of it stuck to the inside of the bottle's neck. I am wondering if that's what corked means; although to my palate the wine was not particularly bad.
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13 Comments:
in my mind, corked wine means that the wine has been exposed to air before the bottle has been opened (the cork is supposed to keep the wine in the bottle and the air out of the bottle) ..... sometimes corks dry out and get a little flaky. i've had this happen and the wine was still good. when the wine is truly corked, you'll know it -- it will taste really off.
at least that's what i've always thought, unless someone out there has more info on this.
pooch at 10:37PM on 10/06/09
Corked wine is wine that has been contaminated with TCA, (Trichloroanisole).
TCA is commonly found in cork, but can also be found in barrels, pallets, or anything made of wood in a winery.
More often than not corks are sterilized to the point that TCA is not a problem, but about 5% of wines are tainted with TCA, or are "corked".
Corkiness is hard to explain. It can be a mustiness that is really profound, or it can be so subtle that it just sort of robs the wine of it's fruit. Some say they can feel TCA on their palate.
I can't say you will definitively know when you get one, because you might not. That's the problem. Often times we will get a "corked" wine and just think the wine is no good, not realizing that it has a flaw.
I often mistake Argentine Malbec for corked, because it has a green hay quality to it in my opinion, and it reminds me of "cork".
I am am more often than not wrong of course, and I love Argentine Malbec !!
I would say, if you go to a tasting at a wine shop or wherever, and they come across a "corked" wine, ask to smell it, and taste it. You won't forget it. It's a memorable flaw.
Silvia at 11:57PM on 10/06/09
Corked wine has been exposed to air due to the cork not being kept wet (bottle resting "sideways") and has turned vinegary. With the birth of the new plastic corks, this does not happen much anymore. Not to mention the twisty capped wines, which I still resist. I find it amusing that waiters give us tastes of wines with the plastic corks. It's all ritual at that point.
lambowner at 12:26AM on 10/07/09
@pooch and @lambowner--that is not the definition of corked wine. Wine that has turned to vinegar due to air seepage from improper storage is not considered corked--it's considered "turned."
@Silvia is correctly identifying the cause of "corked" wines: TCA. Wine that is corked smells very musty and/or moldy. Not that you'd want to taste said wine, but if you do, there should be no doubt--pervasively moldy/mildewy. Most corked wines are easily identified by the smell. Once you've experienced a corked bottle, it's very easy to identify again.
wookie at 1:19AM on 10/07/09
I found a good description of corked wine without all the wine-geek-speak:
From:
Uncorked: Your Top Wine Questions Answered
Napa Winemakers on What You Really Need to Know
By Stephanie O'Neill, Special to LifeScript
Published May 14, 2008
The most common cause is 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), a result of a fungi that is sometimes found in cork. When TCA comes in contact with the wine, it leaves the wine and cork smelling like wet cardboard or a moldy basement and causes the wine to taste muted. The condition happens at even the best wineries. If you get a corked bottle of wine, send it back.
wookie at 1:22AM on 10/07/09
I got my info from a trained sommelier, not from websters. It's always been true to my experiences.
lambowner at 12:28AM on 10/08/09
You may want to check your facts or check your sommelier's credentials.
wookie at 12:36AM on 10/08/09
@lambowner - How did "Webster's" get into this?? I think Wookie did a fine job locating the information to back up what was already said above. BTW, what's a "trained sommelier" anyway????
arm1970 at 12:03PM on 10/08/09
@lambowner - unfortunately then, your sommelier needs to check his/her facts. "Corked" wine is a result of a fungal infection in the cork (tricholoroanisole (TCA)). The plastic stoppers now being used are there because the plastic can't get the fungal infection.
Interestingly, Saran Wrap can be used to try and remove the smell from "corked" wine: "The compound that makes up polyethylene isn't far off from TCA, and therefore absorbs it."
Amandarama at 12:32PM on 10/08/09
To me, "Corked" wine has a nasty, musty smell like a moldy basement. It's a very identifiable smell and you really don't want to even taste this wine. Send it back or save and take back to wine shop.
duncan1205 at 12:51PM on 10/08/09
Ok, ok. I guess my wine wasn't corked. I drank most of it, and I am not really into nasty musty moldy mildewy wine! Thanks for all the information. I guess in the end I will just know it, right?
Carioca at 9:43PM on 10/08/09
Wow, if you are commenting, you should know that sommeliers are trained extensively. Hence their title. Arm1970 "Webster's" ya, funny, you be one of them. Any wine that has turned to vinegar is corked. Whether that be TCA or just O2. Let it rest.
lambowner at 11:27PM on 10/08/09
No, really, "corked" just refers to the TCA. Everyone can make mistakes, even sommeliers, so please don't take it personally that your friend was wrong on this one. There is different terminology when a wine is exposed to air. There are many hundreds of references to this fact at reputable wine websites and in wine books.
sawyerriley at 6:43PM on 10/10/09