Why NOT TO Smell Your Cork

When we go to a nice restaurant, the waiter will bring out the bottle of wine you ordered. They open it in front of you, pour it, and then they take the cork and put it in front of you on the table. Then that awkward moment arrives.... "What the heck do I do with the cork?"

The myth is that everyone thinks you need to smell the cork. Ummmm what does smelling the cork tell you? What does it smell like? (Cork Duh!?) Why would you smell a cork to see if you wine was ok? The wine does not have cork in it - so the wine on the cork will NOT smell like the wine in the bottle! *Mind Blown Right?*

THE CORK TELLS YOU ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT HOW THE WINE IS GOING TO TASTE!

What you NEED to do with that cork is pick it up and look at it. By looking at the cork, you will be able to tell if the wine has been stored and/ or produced properly.

The cork below shows what a cork should look like. Notice that the wine is around the bottom of the cork and the sides of the cork are clean with little or no wine.

The cork below shows that there might have been an air leak with the wine or bottled/stored improperly. Noticed that the wine has run partly up the side of the cork. This bottle might need further investigation. If you have had this wine before, pick up the glass and taste it. If you have NOT had this bottle of wine before, please point the cork out to the wait staff and send it back. You do not want to chance that it was been altered!

The cork below is a wine you definitely want to send back! Notice that the wine has run all the way to the top. This means that the wine got hot for a little bit (not stored properly) and will be considered a "cooked wine." Will drinking a cooked wine hurt you? No! But if you are paying for a bottle of wine - you should get a good quality product! Not one that has been stored improperly. A cooked wine will not display the full taste profile that the wine maker intended it to have.

There you go! Now spread the word! Next time you are in a restaurant, DO NOT let the table next to you smell the cork! Teach them to look at the cork instead!

As always, I hope you found value and I would love to hear you feedback, stories, or questions that deal with this subject. You can always find me directly at www.winwithwine.biz

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CHEERS!