The Official Wine Thread

[b1os]

I guess the cork somehow absorbed moisture of the wine, which could mean that some of the wine evaporated, which could mean that the wine was stored too warm. Or the cellar had too much humidity? Just some ideas.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



I guess the cork somehow absorbed moisture of the wine, which could mean that some of the wine evaporated, which could mean that the wine was stored too warm. Or the cellar had too much humidity? Just some ideas.

It all makes sense to me.

 

[Manton]

Typically it means that the wine has been stored at too high a temp for too long.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Improper cellaring can cause the cork to shrink, compromising the seal and permitting wine to leak (if on its side) or evaporate (if standing up) and air to leak in. If you see the sticky wine residue it means that some of the wine has leaked out and been replaced in the bottle by air. The air will then cause the wine to oxidize and spoil (corked wine).

This will often result in the cork getting saturated and, over time, mushy.

To a lesser degree you should check the cork for "runners" which might indicate a spot where the wine has "run" up the cork to freedom. Might be an indication of some air getting in as well.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



Improper cellaring can cause the cork to shrink, compromising the seal and permitting wine to leak (if on its side) or evaporate (if standing up) and air to leak in. If you see the sticky wine residue it means that some of the wine has leaked out and been replaced in the bottle by air. The air will then cause the wine to oxidize and spoil (corked wine).
This will often result in the cork getting saturated and, over time, mushy.

I thought corked wine and spoiled wine (vinegar) were brought on by different things.

 

[Manton]

Yeah, my understanding is that "corked" means cork taint, that is, some chemical in the cork gets into the wine and spoils it. Vinegar, on the other hand, can result from too much heat or too much age or both.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Ah.

 

[gomestar]



Yeah, my understanding is that "corked" means cork taint, that is, some chemical in the cork gets into the wine and spoils it. Vinegar, on the other hand, can result from too much heat or too much age or both.

this is how I know I understand it.

 

[b1os]



Yeah, my understanding is that "corked" means cork taint, that is, some chemical in the cork gets into the wine and spoils it. Vinegar, on the other hand, can result from too much heat or too much age or both.

Are you sure about that? I've read that the taste one connects to a "corked" wine doesn't necessarily originate from the cork itself. It was an article in the magazine "Der Feinschmecker" about a wine test where they tested a couple dozen different wines (Rieslings?) and a lot were corked. A substantial amount of the "corked" ones had screw caps. I can look it up when I get home.

 

[Manton]

From what I can tell, there is still controversy about this. For years it was assumed that the cork was the problem. Then some winemakers started switching to synthetics and screw-caps and the cork industry started fighting back. They funded a lot of studies, etc. So, I don't think there is a conclusive answer to this.

In any event, whatever is the cause of cork taint, it's a seperate issue from too much heat for too long. Etiher will spoil wine, but in different ways. Perfectly stored bottles can still be corked. Badly stored bottles are almost certainly going to be spoiled, just not from cork taint.

 

[gomestar]

cork taint can originate from other sources at the winery. When this happens it can be really bad (as in the majority of product is bad instead of a handful of bottles).

 

[b1os]

I hear you. Makes sense.

 

[Sterling Gillette]



Are you sure about that? I've read that the taste one connects to a "corked" wine doesn't necessarily originate from the cork itself. It was an article in the magazine "Der Feinschmecker" about a wine test where they tested a couple dozen different wines (Rieslings?) and a lot were corked. A substantial amount of the "corked" ones had screw caps. I can look it up when I get home.

I have read somewhere (in fact, it might even have been the same article you mentioned), that the TCA which can lead to a corked wine can also come from, as gamester wrote, other sources than the cork. If I remember correctly, the filtration system (or at least a special type of filtration system) can be one of the origins. It can also reside in the cellar itself, especially if the winery is not that keen on hygiene matters...

 

[coolpapa]



cork taint can originate from other sources at the winery. When this happens it can be really bad (as in the majority of product is bad instead of a handful of bottles).

TCA can come from the cork, the barrel, or the winery. Montelena had a problem with TCA in the winery about a decade ago.

 

[kwilkinson]



From what I can tell, there is still controversy about this. For years it was assumed that the cork was the problem. Then some winemakers started switching to synthetics and screw-caps and the cork industry started fighting back. They funded a lot of studies, etc. So, I don't think there is a conclusive answer to this.
In any event, whatever is the cause of cork taint, it's a seperate issue from too much heat for too long. Etiher will spoil wine, but in different ways. Perfectly stored bottles can still be corked. Badly stored bottles are almost certainly going to be spoiled, just not from cork taint.

From the studies I've read (well, commentary I've read on the studies), there is very little difference in the amount of corked bottles for different kinds of enclosures. It can come from all places, cork, oak, ventilation systems, the wood in the winery, etc. And it doesn't only come from TCA. I mean, technically, cork taint is 2,4,6-trichloroanisole or 2,4,6-tribromoanisole, but there are a few other chemical compounds that aren't techncially cork but present themselves in such an identical manner that to consumers they're indistinguishable.

I have read somewhere (in fact, it might even have been the same article you mentioned), that the TCA which can lead to a corked wine can also come from, as gamester wrote, other sources than the cork. If I remember correctly, the filtration system (or at least a special type of filtration system) can be one of the origins. It can also reside in the cellar itself, especially if the winery is not that keen on hygiene matters...

It has nothing to do with how hygienic a winery is. In fact, there are some accounts of cleaning too much with certain chemicals (different kinds of chlorine that found their way into the air) can cause cork taint. Also, most of the time that an entire winery is affected, in the cellar or the crushpad or anywhere else, it's because of the treatment in the wood, something they can't control (or at least didn't know they had to) and can't help.

Anyone seriously looking to check up on this should read the book Corked by George Taber.