Waiter! My wine is corked!

Have you ever experienced this?
The waiter opens the wine and pour it with pride, but as soon as you bring the glass to your nose... OMG, it smells like cardboard and tastes dull.

Do you send it back? Yes.
Is it the restaurant fault? No.
It is safe to drink? Yes.
Can this be fixed? Not really.
Did it happen to us at the Bistro? Yes.

Interested? Read a little further if you wish to know a bit more.

It is important to clarify that this unpleasant phenomenon only affects wine sealed with natural cork, not technical or syntetic corks, and screwcaps.

In short, a wine is “corked” when the cork has been contaminated by a natural fungus that lives in the bark of cork oak trees.
When this fungus comes into contact with chlorine (from cleaning or the environment), it can create a compound called TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole).
Study show that circa 5% of cork production could be contaminated.
Sometimes woodden barrels used in wine aging can also being affected.

A corked wine is never the restaurant or wine shop fault; it can happen even when the wine has been stored perfectly. If you detect musty aromas reminiscent of wet cardboard, damp newspaper, or a “wet dog” smell, politely ask the waiter to replace the bottle.

From the restaurant's perspective, it is important to identify the production lot, and notify the supplier to check if there are more faulty wines.

Can it be prevented? Modern winemaking and cork production are adopting new techniques and sustainable practices to minimize the risk of contamination, though natural cork will always carry a small chance of taint.

The good news? Most bottles are perfectly fine! And if you encounter a faulty one, make sure you get the wine you deserve and enjoy it!