What Does 'Corked' Mean Anyway?
September 6th 2006 03:55
I've been to polite dinners where guests bask in the witty banter of enlightened adults. I've been to the kind that degrade rapidly into debaucherous evenings involving oiled midgets and edible underwear too. But no matter what the affair, what never ceases to surprise me is how many people unjustly accuse a bottle of wine of being "corked" (yes I suppose I am easily surprised).
Some folks seem to think that little bits of cork floating around in their glass are a direct symptom of cork taint. Others think that the smell of rotting eggs or vinegar indicate that their fermented grape juice is corked. What's it all mean?
What's cork taint anyway?
So glad you asked. Cork taint is a result of trichloroanisole (TCA) being present in the bottle. The cork itself is not to blame - it's merely an abode for TCA to walk in, slip its shoes off, turn on the footy and frig up your Chardy. TCA can be found in bottled water, beer, spirits, and even raisins. TCA in wine may be due to:
> Contaminated oak barrels or corks
> Contaminated winery machinery or bottling equipment
> Airborne moulds in the winery environs
> Moulds in transport containers or the home cellar
OK Jas, that's very informative but BORING! How do I know that my wine's corked then smarty-bum-pants?!
Low levels of cork taint can be identified by a 'dulling' of fruit aromas on the nose. Where you may have been detecting lychees in your favourite Riesling -you may now be smelling less of them or none at all.
High levels of cork taint will result in a smell much like a wet hessian bag or wet cardboard and just generally pretty musty (yes...your Grandmother's Bedroom kinda' musty - Aaaarrggghh!!!)
So now go forth my wine-drinking pretties - armed with your new knowledge. Next time some wanker says, "This 'ere is corked" (yes wine wankers generally have cockney accents), you can say, "Piss off!" and slap them on the back of the head...unless they're right...in which case just sleep with their girl/boyfriend and call it even.
Some folks seem to think that little bits of cork floating around in their glass are a direct symptom of cork taint. Others think that the smell of rotting eggs or vinegar indicate that their fermented grape juice is corked. What's it all mean?
What's cork taint anyway?
So glad you asked. Cork taint is a result of trichloroanisole (TCA) being present in the bottle. The cork itself is not to blame - it's merely an abode for TCA to walk in, slip its shoes off, turn on the footy and frig up your Chardy. TCA can be found in bottled water, beer, spirits, and even raisins. TCA in wine may be due to:
> Contaminated oak barrels or corks
> Contaminated winery machinery or bottling equipment
> Airborne moulds in the winery environs
> Moulds in transport containers or the home cellar
OK Jas, that's very informative but BORING! How do I know that my wine's corked then smarty-bum-pants?!
Low levels of cork taint can be identified by a 'dulling' of fruit aromas on the nose. Where you may have been detecting lychees in your favourite Riesling -you may now be smelling less of them or none at all.
High levels of cork taint will result in a smell much like a wet hessian bag or wet cardboard and just generally pretty musty (yes...your Grandmother's Bedroom kinda' musty - Aaaarrggghh!!!)
So now go forth my wine-drinking pretties - armed with your new knowledge. Next time some wanker says, "This 'ere is corked" (yes wine wankers generally have cockney accents), you can say, "Piss off!" and slap them on the back of the head...unless they're right...in which case just sleep with their girl/boyfriend and call it even.
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