Amazing Reason Why You Should Smell The Cork

TCA and Other Cork Odors

The Amazing Reason Why You Should Smell The Cork is to see if the wine is bad or otherwise known as corked. If it is bad, you will get a chemical or musty odor like a wet dog. In addition, the wine will smell and taste the same. The culprit is a chemical called TCA. And that means the wine is no good. Ask for a new bottle or return it to the store.

Most good restaurants and stores know this issue very well and will gladly accommodate you. The same thing goes if you order a glass and it tastes like a chemical. About 5% of all wine with natural cork can be this way. That’s 1 out of every 20 bottles! The wine industry is trying to identify the causes and reduce the waste. Also, many wine professionals will advise against smelling the cork. I disagree, because I can usually smell it right on the cork. Of course, you can pour a glass to smell and taste for yourself.

Other Cork Issues

You can also tell other things from the cork like how the wine was stored. If the cork is dry and brittle, then it was poorly stored upright and this may have damaged the wine. Imagine a hot storage area with the wine standing upright. Wine should be stored on its side which keeps the cork moist and regulates air exchange. The best liquor stores keep their wine on its side. And, some will turn off the AC overnight when they are closed. That is very bad for wine!

Don’t worry if the majority of your cork is red stained as long as it was stored on it’s side in a cool and dry place. If you have a basement, that is best. If you can afford a wine fridge, that is best when there is no basement. I have had corks where the wine leaked a bit and the wine was still great. Lastly, the corks should always be left on the table when you are out to dinner so you can account for how many bottles you purchased.

Portugal

Believe it or not, almost all of the corks come from a certain species of oak trees in Portugal. Another concern of the wine industry is if Portugal can keep up with the demand, because the cork comes from stripping the outer bark off of the tree. They leave the inner bark and can strip it again in 9 years. The trees can live about two centuries.

Miscellaneous

Many wineries are switching to screw caps to reduce the amount of corked wine. The best are called Stelvin caps, because they are designed to allow the wine to breathe. The downside is you cannot recycle them. They are bad for the environment , because producing aluminum has waste products and they cannot be recycled due to plastic lining. I recommend that you save and collect your corks. You can use them to decorate or make things like trivets. As the years go by, you will be able to see how many bottles you drank. The worst corks are the artificial ones. Also, they are usually used for inexpensive wine and wine that does not need aging.

Smell The Cork? Go For It! Amazing Reason Why You Should Smell The Cork

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