| Wine has been a part of civilization for thousands | | | | A corked wine is not uncommon. You can find |
| of years. This would seem to suggest that it is a | | | | them in shops and restaurants. It is estimated |
| rather hardy liquid. Nothing could be further from | | | | that roughly 5 percent of all wine bottles suffer |
| the truth. Entire regions have nearly been lost | | | | from the corked problem. Many of these bottles |
| from viral infections, but in this article we take a | | | | go unnoticed because the smell can blend with |
| closer look at the problem 5 percent of all wine | | | | other wine aromas. Airing out the wine will also |
| bottles have. | | | | lead to the reduction of the smell. Is there any |
| You’ve become a rather serious wine | | | | way to save a corked wine? Unfortunately, there |
| collector. You remember that first quality bottle | | | | really is not. The best that can be done is to try |
| you purchased and have had in your storage for | | | | to decant the wine. The TCA [trichlorasine] effect |
| years. It’s your 25th anniversary, a special | | | | is hard to overcome. |
| occasion if ever there was one. You pop the cork | | | | There is good news on this front, however. The |
| and a rank smell immediately becomes apparent. | | | | corked problem is occurring at the same time |
| Is the wine bad? Not in the manner you might | | | | corking is also becoming more expensive. This is |
| think. No, the problem is you have a corked wine. | | | | leading to a movement to switch away from |
| What is a corked wine? It is perhaps the most | | | | cork caps towards screw on caps. This would |
| aggravating thing a wine collector can experience. | | | | resolve the corked problem, but the movement is |
| The phrase refers to a wine that has a unique | | | | slowed by the traditional views of wine drinkers. |
| problem. Prior to bottling, the cork was cleaned | | | | Most wine drinkers associate a screw on cap with |
| with a solution that contained chlorine. Once | | | | a drop in quality. As a result, many wineries are |
| bottled, the chlorine reacts phenol that occurs | | | | hesitant to make the switch and risk the wrath of |
| naturally in the cork material. This leads to a mold | | | | unhappy customers. |
| explosion that results in a substance known as | | | | A corked wine is definitely not a good thing. Odds |
| TCA. TCA gives off the smell you experience | | | | are you will experience one sooner or later. Such |
| with a corked wine and more or less ruins the | | | | is life! |
| bottle. | | | | |