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Corked!

Posted: Saturday, February 27th, 2010 by Rob

There’s little more disappointing than a corked bottle of wine. You choose a bottle of your vino of choice, looking forward to its aromas and flavors, anticipating its tap-dance on your palate. Grab a glass and the corkscrew, peel the foil back, and ease the cork from the bottle. The liquid splashes red, or golden. You lift the glass to your nose and… ugh.

What is corked wine? Why does it happen? What should you do about it?

Wine is “corked” when naturally occurring fungi in the air convert chlorinate phenol compounds in the wine to trichloroanisole (TCA), a chemical that is detectable in very small quantities, and gives the wine an aroma and taste not unlike wet cardboard or musty books. In addition, the desirable aromas of the wine are much reduced. The chemical is harmless, but it destroys the aesthetic experience of the wine, and can render it unpalatable and undrinkable.

TCA contamination can be specific to a given bottle, or systemic in a bottling run. Sometimes, just the individual cork is contaminated or improperly sanitized. Rarely, a wooden cask or barrel used for aging can contaminate an entire bottling. The latter almost never goes undetected by the winery, leaving corked bottles an infrequent and isolated incident.

Winemakers have taken a number of steps over the years to reduce or eliminate the risk of corking. Composite corks, where the cork is primarily made of coarsely ground particles that are sanitized and reconstituted, are helpful because the greater surface area of the ground cork allows sanitizing agents to permeate most of the material. Whole corks are now usually sanitized with hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine bleach, to eliminate a possible source of chlorine ions that help make up TCA.

Synthetic corks and twist-caps are becoming more and more prevalent, even on premium wines. Traditionalists decry their use, claiming that wines with these closures don’t age properly, given that they are not as permeable to oxygen as natural corks. Slow oxidation is a component of wine’s life cycle, and some say that cutting off that oxygen supply leads to “reduction” flavors in the wines using non-permeable closures. Reduction (chemically the opposite of oxidation) occurs in wine when certain compounds, primarily tannins, are deprived of oxygen and steal it from other molecules in the wine. This is generally detectable as sulphur-like aromas – just-struck matches, “sewer”, burning rubber, rotten egg. In most cases, all that’s needed is a little bit of air time before drinking, and decanting is an excellent remedy.

What do you do if you get a corked wine? Most of the time, if it’s noticeable to the untrained palate, it’s severe enough to make the wine generally undrinkable. What you do about that ruined bottle depends on how you acquired it.

If you order wine at a restaurant, the bottle will be opened at the table and you will be presented with the cork. Look at it to ensure that it’s not damaged, doesn’t show signs of leakage, and isn’t spongy or deteriorating. If it shows any of these defects, be on the alert and pay attention to what happens next. The waiter or wine steward will pour a small amount for you – swirl it in the glass and smell it. If it smells musty, fungal, or like wet dog, inform the server and send it back. This is why this ritual is performed – it gives the customer the opportunity to reject a spoiled bottle. A good restaurant will almost never dispute a returned bottle of wine, so refuse its service if you’re suspicious. By the same token, don’t send a non-spoiled bottle back just because you don’t like the wine, though most of the time they’ll accept it (and serve it by the glass at the bar!).

If you purchased the wine directly from the winery, call them and let them know. Most will be glad to replace the bottle, or offer an equivalent. If the winery’s local, take it back to them. If they’re at all interested in quality control and perception of their product, they’ll be interested in evaluating the bottle themselves. If the winery’s not local, they may or may not arrange to have the spoiled bottle sent back to them.

Your local cut-rate liquor store may or may not offer an exchange, but a reputable wine shop should almost always exchange a corked bottle if it’s a recent purchase. Returning a wine that’s been in the cellar for 10 years is likely out of the question, but if you’re a long-time regular customer, a good merchant may offer to make good. It’s always good to get to know your wine dealer. Talk to them when you’re in the store, make sure they know your name, and they’ll take care of you to ensure you stay a valued customer.