Corkiness and soft corks

[Jerry D Mead]

re the "Corky" controversey...A decade or more ago the finger was always pointed at the cork manufacturer...mostly regarding a lessening of time in air drying before processing and in the rinsing of chlorine used in processing. TCA is present in all wood and wood bark, but something causes it to become volatile in some corks.

We tracked the percentage for several years where huge quantities of bottles were being opened and evalauated by an all-professional panel (winemakers at the Orange County Fair when I was in charge). At its worst (about a decade ago) we saw 5% + or - a few. My suspicion is the percentage is now about 3%.

More recently, part of the blame has been leveled at wineries and cork merchants (as opposed to manufacturers)with some considerable evidence that less than pristine storage conditions can activate this stuff that the human olfactory can detect in parts per trillion!

For anyone who is not quite sure what TCA smells like (knowing helps you deal with uneducated retailers or restaurateurs who don't want to permit a bottle to be returned/refused), they can send $3 to: Wine Trader, Attn: Corky, Box 1598, Carson City, NV 89702 (800) 845-9463.

They'll receive a vial containing a tiny bit of crystal which will totally destroy one bottle of wine along with instructions for an educational experience. Quantity discounts are available for wine educators or others in the trade. To my knowledge, this is the only source of this chemical available to the general public.


JDM

JDM