Wine Tasting Terms Part 3

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Today we will continue this week’s series by identifying some wine tasting terminology.

Every field of study seems to have its’ own vocabulary, and the wine industry is no different. One term used to describe a fault in wine is the term “corked” as in -this wine smells “corked”. The term obviously takes its name from the source of the defect, the cork. There is a chemical compound that is the result of a cork being infected with mold and it permeates the wine making it truly undrinkable. The chemical is called trichloroanisole. I am disappointed at how many people are unaware of this and just think the wine is bad. And they never give the producer another chance. Corked wine smells very much like wet cardboard or newspaper that has been sitting in a basement for a long while, very dank and musty. It is said to infect at least five percent of all bottles using corks as closures. It seems to be a driver in the search for an alternative closure for our wine, hence screw caps, glass stoppers and synthetic corks. If you ever have a corked wine please do not drink it, rather return it where you purchased it and ask for and exchange. I can assure no winery will want you to drink it and believe it is their normal product. Most will want to know it occurred and will gladly take them back.  I do hope this helps you the next time you have a funky smelling wine. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at ag info dot net and thanks for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.