GoKawiilOrdering wine can feel intimidating if you're unfamiliar with the ritual. A wine list-scanning app can help you pick the right bottle, but that's not where the drama ends. The swirling, sniffing and polite nod after that first small pour might look like theater -- or simply a chance to confirm you like what you ordered. But that preliminary sip has a much more specific job: checking whether the wine is actually good to drink.
Wine can spoil due to poor storage or a faulty cork. You'll usually notice a "corked" bottle first in the smell -- a musty, wet cardboard odor that has no place in a glass worth drinking. A quick sniff before you taste can catch the problem before the server fills everyone's glass, saving you from paying for a bottle that never had a chance.
To get the full scoop on corked wine and how to tell a good bottle from a bad one, we turned to the experts. Here's everything to know.
What is corked wine?
An estimated 1% to 7% of bottles are corked -- we'll explain what that means below. Knowing what to look, taste and smell for is key when scrutinizing wine for problems.
"A corked wine is caused by a compound called trichloroanisole, or TCA, which contaminates the cork, bottle or wine itself during harvest, production or even shipping," said Vinnie Miliano, bar manager for the famed Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
Corked wine can come from a restaurant wine cellar or your own collection. Cavan Images / Getty Images
TCA often occurs in corks as a fungal compound but can 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 have been rigorously implemented.
"A corked wine isn't harmful to consume, but it certainly isn't pleasant to drink and will definitely detract from the experience," Miliano said.
Despite the temporary awkwardness and disruption of dinner service, it's OK to send something back that doesn't taste up to par. After all, if you're shelling out hard-earned cash to treat yourself and a loved one, you don't want the evening to go, well, sour.
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