Aside from spotting hair in your food, there's perhaps no greater disappointment in fine dining than ordering an expensive bottle of wine, only to discover it tastes funny.
But don't be alarmed. Corked wine is a natural but annoying phenomenon. And since it is estimated From 1% to 7% of the bottles are corkedchances are you'll come across one at some point in your life.
What is corked wine?
“Corked wine is caused by a compound called trichloroanisole, or TCA, which contaminates the cork, the bottle, or the wine itself during harvest, production, or even transportation,” said Vinny Miliano, celebrity bar manager. Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
TCA often exists as fungi in cork, but can also be present in pesticides, preservatives, and cleaning products found in wineries. Barrels and cartons can also be sources of “contamination”, even if quality control standards are rigorously implemented.
“Corked wine is not harmful to consume, but it is certainly not pleasant to drink and will definitely detract from the experience,” Miliano added.
Despite the temporary inconvenience and disruption of dinner service, it's wrong to send something that won't taste good. After all, if you're paying hard-earned money to treat yourself and a loved one, you don't want the evening to go, well, sour.
We asked Miliano as well as Courtney Chaney, Beverage Operations Manager Ocean Primeto explain how to tell if a wine is corked and the proper protocol for flagging the problem with a sommelier or server. (For more wine tips, read a sommelier's top tips for finding bottles on a budget and see how to properly store each type of open wine.)
How to tell if the wine is corked
Corked wine can smell musty like damp cardboard or a damp basement.
Usually, there are two immediate indicators to detect whether a wine is corked: aroma and taste. “Corked wine will usually smell, with smells of wet cardboard, dirt or like a damp basement,” Miliano said. “If you taste it, you'll notice that the flavor can be muted or unpleasant, without the expected fruit and structure.”
Cheney echoes these accurate descriptions, adding that a corked wine will also taste “flat with a marked astringency in heavy cases that also lacks fruitiness.”
And while one might believe that some heavy tannin varieties are more prone to floating than others, TCA doesn't discriminate. “However, it's easier to recognize cork stain in wines that are unaged because of the more powerful aromatics that accompany oak aging,” Chaney said. “It is (also) more likely to occur in wines with traditional corks.”
Read more: We asked Wine Pro if open red wine lasts longer in the fridge
How to return corked wine
If you come across a corked bottle, a trained wine professional or bar manager will likely correct the unfortunate circumstance. “The best approach is the simplest,” Miliano said. “Politely inform your server or sommelier. No offense intended and most hospitality professionals are trained to handle the situation gracefully.”
This may include tasting the wine yourself before replacing the bottle or glass. If you are not quite sure, you can also rely on their expert palates for an explanation and/or final confirmation.
“I once had a whole case of beautiful Rioja completely clogged,” said Miliano, who also says there's no need to “feel embarrassed or angry” at the moment. Quality control is only part of the process and an important step to determine if additional inventory is affected.
“You can also check the cork, which should be presented to you when your server opens the bottle,” Chaney added. “If it smells musty and musty, it's probably clogged.” Of course, if there is any type of pushback, escalate it higher to the restaurant managers or owners after your meal. This can be done via email to avoid confrontation.
Read more: 7 surprising recipes to which you can add wine
Nothing about wine
Any restaurant worth its salt will replace the corked bottle with a good one for free.
Chaney summed up the wine corking concept best: “Cork discoloration is a natural fault in wines, so most restaurants will replace the bottle without further question or charge.”
Although an offending sip can be unfortunate, remember that it is probably the worst thing that will happen to you that day. Accept it, say something about it and move on. It's nobody's fault (not even the winemaker's) and you more than deserve a delicious, stress-free meal that's worth every dollar you spend.