Corky Streaks

[Craig Camp]

Have you ever noticed that corky bottles seem to go in streaks? All of a sudden every other bottle in corked and then the next week none. Does this have something to do with the Zodiac or is there a technological reason behind this phenomenon.

Perhaps the restaurant types out there who open many bottles of the same wine every week could comment on this.

["T"]

Personally, I feel I have a knack, no let's make that a gift for choosing that oh so special bottle of dull, flat corked wine. I know when presented with a gift we should accept it with grace but this is one gift I could do without thank you very much.

[Andre]

A great topic and an excellent observation.

I am a wine store owner with some restaurant experience.

In my opinion the problem derives from wine handling.

After noticing that corkiness tends to affect a group of wines rather than a single bottle here and there, I started to pay extra attention.

My recent experience was with an ill stored wine shipment from NZ, Excxellent wines, Trinity hill Gimblette road 1998-1999 reds were reduced for Bordeaulaise rather than enjoyed in a glass.

Even though none of the corks were leaking. most suffred from wine penetration over half of their length.

The aromas wre ranging anything from TCA to boiled eggs.

Cork penetration seems to play a major factor in what is termed as corked wines.

The quality of corks should add to minimal penetration as much as possible. Even though certain experiments with enzymes elliminating dif. bacteria in natural cork are taking place, cork penetration remains to be a major problem in my eyes.

[Carema]

I would agree with this. I had a rash of bad German riesling lately, from an esteemed and fabulous producer too. But Vintage 2000. Anyway, we went most of the winter without too many problems and now our "corked" bin is over 15 bottles. Hmmmm. I am sensing a weather correlation.

[docsconz]

Even though none of the corks were leaking. most suffred from wine penetration over half of their length.

The aromas wre ranging anything from TCA to boiled eggs.

Cork penetration seems to play a major factor in what is termed as corked wines.

The quality of corks should add to minimal penetration as much as possible. Even though certain experiments with enzymes elliminating dif. bacteria in natural cork are taking place, cork penetration remains to be a major problem in my eyes.

Are you saying that corks that are found soaked with wine in bottle have a greater tendency to corked?

Ifso, is that actually the corkiness that comes from the specific chemical present in a "corked" bottle (I can't remember the name offhand) from a tainted cork, or is it that the wine has become oxidized and or contaminated over time due to a "leaky" cork?

[Andre]

Even though none of the corks were leaking. most suffred from wine penetration over half of their length.

The aromas wre ranging anything from TCA to boiled eggs.

Cork penetration seems to play a major factor in what is termed as corked wines.

The quality of corks should add to minimal penetration as much as possible. Even though certain experiments with enzymes elliminating dif. bacteria in natural cork are taking place, cork penetration remains to be a major problem in my eyes.

Are you saying that corks that are found soaked with wine in bottle have a greater tendency to corked?

Ifso, is that actually the corkiness that comes from the specific chemical present in a "corked" bottle (I can't remember the name offhand) from a tainted cork, or is it that the wine has become oxidized and or contaminated over time due to a "leaky" cork?

From my own experience, yes.

It is important to differintiate between cork contamination deriving from the effect from a certain bacteria found in the cork and oxidization resulting from the wine being in touch with air.

There are several things being discovered in the natural cork, now that it has our full attention.

Wine penetrating the cork is more likely to be in touch with whatever is inside and TCA [ If I remeber correctly, the result of chlorine being in touch with phenols ] is one of them.

A Well stored wine with a good cork should not have as many problems as a bad cork or simply a cheaper one.