The wine service may seem intimidating if you are not experienced with the ritual. The swirling, sniffing and polished approval after this small initial flow can look like a theater or a simple taste test. However, this preliminary sample serves a specific objective: checking the quality of the wine.
The initial payment allows you to detect if the wine has spoiled. Bottles can deteriorate due to bad storage conditions or defective caps, resulting in what is called “blocked” wine. This imperfect wine generally emits molds of mold recalling the damp cardboard or mildiou, and does not taste anything about the vision of the winemaker. Quick aroma verification before tasting helps to identify the problems before the server pours the full glasses, protecting your investment – regardless of size or size.
Because of this, you don’t even need to sip the wine, but it’s good if you do. If you want to show that you are a wine drinker informed, however, simply give it a big whipping sniff, because a bad bottle is generally detectable by a single odor. But this flex is only precious if you know how to sniff a bad bottle.
It is estimated that 1% to 7% of bottles are blocked – we will explain what it means below. Knowing what to look for, taste and feel is essential when you examine wine for problems. To get the full scoop on blocked wine and how to say a good bottle of a bad, we turned to the experts. Here is all to know.
What is plug wine?
“A cork wine is caused by a compound called Trichloroanisole, or TCA, which contaminates cork, bottle or wine itself during harvest, production or even expedition,” said Vinnie Miliano, director of the bar for the famous Waldorf Astoria Chicago.
The cork wine can come from a restaurant wine cellar or from your own collection.
TCA often exists in the form of mushrooms in traffic jams, but can also be presented in pesticides, preservatives and cleaning products found in wine establishments. Barrels and cardboard boxes can also be sources of “contamination”, even if high -quality control standards have been rigorously implemented.
“A blocked wine is not harmful to consume, but it is certainly not pleasant to drink and will certainly harm the experience,” said Miliano.
Despite the temporary clumsiness and the disruption of the dinner service, it is normal to return something that does not taste the peer. After all, if you bomb hard money earned to please you and a loved one, you don’t want the evening to go, well, well, sour.
We asked Miliano, as well as in Courtney Cheney, manager of Drinking Operations for Ocean Prime, to explain how to know if a wine is blocked and the appropriate protocol to report the problem with a sommelier or a server. (For more wine advice, read the best advice from a sommelier to find low -budget bottles and see how to properly store all types of open wine.)
How to know if a wine is plug
The cork wine may feel mold as wet cardboard or a damp basement.
There are generally two immediate indicators to detect if a wine has been blocked: aroma and taste. “A buttoned wine will generally feel, with wet cardboard scents, less or like a damp basement,” said Miliano. “If you taste it, you will notice that the taste can be mute or unpleasant, lacking the expected fruit and structure.”
Cheney echoes these exact descriptions, adding that a cork wine also has a “flat with a distinct astrint in serious cases which will also lack fruity”.
And although we can believe that certain grape varieties are more likely to transform than others, TCA does not discriminate. “However, it is easier to recognize cork defilement in wines that are not successful, due to the more powerful aromatics that accompany aging in oak,” said Cheney. “It is [also] More likely to occur in wines with traditional caps. “”
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How to return blocked wine
Do not hesitate to return a bottle of blocked wine.
If you come across a clogged bottle, a qualified professional or manager who will probably remedy the unfortunate circumstances. “The best approach is the simplest,” said Miliano. “Politely inform your server or your sommelier. There will be no offensive, and most hotel professionals are trained to manage the situation graciously.”
This may include tasting the wine itself before replacing the bottle or glass. If you are not entirely safe, you can also count on their expert palates for an explanation and / or a final confirmation.
“I once had a whole case of wonderful Rioja completely blocked,” said Miliano, who also says that it is not necessary to “feel embarrassed or angry” in the moment. Quality verification is simply part of the process and an important step to determine if the additional inventory is affected.
“You can also check the cork, which should be presented to you on your server opening the bottle,” added Cheney. “If he feels mold and the least, he is probably blocked.” Of course, if there is one type of decline, increase it above restaurant managers or owners after your meal. This can be done by email to avoid confrontation.
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Nothing in wine
Any restaurant that is worth its salt will replace a bite bottle with a good man for free.
Cheney has better finished the concept of looping wine: “The cork strain is a natural fault in the wines, so most restaurants will replace the bottle without any other question or load.”
Although an offensive sip is unlucky, don’t forget that it is probably the worst thing that will happen to you that day. Accept it, say something about it and continue. It is person’s fault (not even that of winemaker), and you deserve more than a delicious and delicious meal that is worth every dollar that you spend.
