Wine 101: How to spot ‘corked’ wine?

‘Corked’ wines refer to wines that do not taste or smell how they should.  The term comes from when too much air  has infiltrated the bottle from the cork, and oxidized the wine.  Other systems of closure (plastic corks, screw-caps) do not guarantee that the wine won’t face the same issue.

When tasted, wines should at least have some fruity aromas, but ‘corked’ bacteria dull those aromas. So you will notice that the nose will be dull, weak and unpleasant. Look out for smells of cardboard, wetness or dampness, which is a sign of a problem.

Wine is a living environment. Regardless of the good care given across the distribution channels, 'corked' wines can happen. It is estimated that 5% of the world production is!  So do not force yourself to drink bad wine. If you are in doubt at a restaurant, ask the manager – they are supposed to replace the bottle if it is not good.

Here at Wine Talk, we extend the same service to guarantee your satisfaction. If you find that one of your wines is 'corked', we will send you a replacement.