Ordering wine can seem intimidating if you’re not familiar with the ritual. A wine list scanning app may help you choose the right bottle, but the drama doesn’t end there. The twirling, snorting and polite nod after the first small pour can feel like a theatrical performance—or just a chance to confirm that you liked what you ordered. But this preliminary sip has a much more specific purpose: to test whether the wine is actually healthy to drink.
Wine can spoil due to improper storage or a faulty cork. Typically, the first thing you’ll notice is a “corked” bottle smell—a musty, damp, cardboard smell that has no place in a glass worth drinking. A quick sniff before you try may reveal the problem before the waiter refills everyone’s glasses, saving you from having to pay 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 you need to know.
What is corked wine?
It is estimated that between 1% and 7% of bottles are corked – we explain what this means below. Knowing what to look for, taste and smell is key when testing a wine for problems.
“Wine corking 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 Migliano, bar manager at the famed Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
The cork wine can be from a restaurant’s wine cellar or from your own collection.
TCA is often found in corks as a fungal compound, but can also be present in pesticides, preservatives and cleaning products used in wineries. Drums and cardboard boxes can also be sources of “contamination” even if high quality control standards are strictly adhered to.
“Corked wine is not harmful to drink, but it is definitely unpleasant to drink and will definitely ruin the experience,” Miliano said.
Despite the temporary awkwardness and disruption of dinner service, it is okay to send back something that is not up to par. After all, if you’re spending your hard-earned money to treat yourself and a loved one, you don’t want the evening to go to waste. sour.
We asked Miliano, as well as Courtney Chaney, Ocean Prime’s beverage manager, to explain how to tell if a wine is corked and how to properly report the problem to the sommelier or server. (For more wine tips, read the best sommelier tips for finding inexpensive bottles and learn how to properly store each type of opened wine.)
How to tell if wine is corked
Corked wine may smell musty, like wet cardboard or a damp basement.
There are usually two immediate indicators of whether a wine is corked: aroma and taste. “A corked wine usually smells like wet cardboard, mustiness or a damp cellar,” Miliano said. “If you taste it, you’ll notice that the flavor can be muted or off-putting, lacking the expected fruitiness and structure.”
Cheney repeats these exact descriptions, adding that a corked wine will also have a “flat taste with a distinct astringency in severe cases, which also lacks fruitiness.”
And while you might think that some high-tannin varieties are more prone to clogging than others, the TCA doesn’t discriminate. “However, it is easier to recognize cork flavors in wines that have not been oaked due to the stronger aromas that accompany oak aging,” Cheney said. “It is (also) more common in wines with traditional corks.”
If you smell it, you don’t even need to drink the wine, but it’s okay if you do. However, if you want to show that you’re a knowledgeable wine drinker, just give it a big sniff, since a bad bottle can usually be detected by smell alone. But this flexibility is only valuable if you can recognize a bad bottle.
Read more: We asked a wine professional if opened red wine lasts longer in the refrigerator
How to send back corked wine
Feel free to send back a corked bottle of wine.
If you come across a corked bottle, a qualified wine specialist or bar manager will likely be able to correct the unfortunate circumstance. “The best approach is the simplest,” Miliano said. “Bring this to your waiter or sommelier politely. No one will be offended and most hospitality professionals are trained to handle the situation gracefully.”
This may include tasting the wine itself before changing the bottle or glass. If you are not entirely sure, you can also rely on their expert opinion for explanation and/or final confirmation.
“I once had a whole drawer of wonderful Rioja completely corked,” said Miliano, who also says there’s no need to “feel embarrassed or angry” in the moment. Quality testing is just part of the process and an important step in determining whether additional inventory is affected.
“You can also check the cork, which you must be presented with when your server opens the bottle,” Chaney added. “If it smells musty and damp, it’s probably clogged.” Of course, if there are any objections, please let the restaurant managers or owners know after your meal. This can be done via email to avoid confrontation.
Read more: 7 unexpected recipes to which you can add wine
Nothing special
Any decent restaurant will replace a corked bottle with a good one for free.
Chaney described the concept of wine corking best: “Cork is a natural defect in wine, so most restaurants will replace the bottle without any further questions or payment.”
While an offensive sip may turn out to 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 no one’s fault (not even the winemaker’s) and you more than deserve a delicious, stress-free meal that’s worth every dollar you spend.
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