# What to do with the cork?



## TradMichael (Apr 13, 2006)

I'm not sure exactly where to post this question, so apologies if this is inappropriate here.

But when at dinner in a restaurant and the waiter has opened your wine and presents you with the cork, what do you do?

As I understand it, the act originates from periods & places when good wines were faked, so viewing the vintner's stamp on the cork is an assurance that you're getting what's on the bottle's label.

Most of the time I'm not ordering expensive wine, so I just nod and wave the cork away. What's the proper thing to do?

(And is there a forum here on the boards for etiquette and manners and general questions such as this? I can't seem to find one...)


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

there have been threads like this in the past. here is what you do

1. he shows you the bottle, you check the date and the name, and nod. it is really not uncommon for the year not to match what you ordered, so that is worth checking

2 he will pull the cork, and hand it to you. you take it, look at the ends (basically to make sure it hasn't crumbled or doesn't look rotten) and you set it down on the table. some people will sniff it, looking for a vinagary smell, but if you wno't recognize the smell, don't bother. 

3. make eye contact, nod

4. he will pour a little in your glass. you keep your fingers on the stem, pressing the foot onto the table and twirl the sample around the glass two or three times. taste. 

5. make eye contract, nod

6. he will pour for your guests, then you


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## Isaac Mickle (Nov 28, 2006)

At home, I throw the cork at the cat. She is invariably on the stove, licking her chops.


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## Clovis (Jan 11, 2005)

Becasue we don't have a cat, we generally throw the cork in the kitchen drawer with the rest of them.


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

TradMichael:

globetrotter may of had a bottle or two in his time since he's absolutely right. :icon_smile_big: 

The cork is just felt to make sure the end (nearest the wine) is wet and thus hasn't failed. It seems like smelling the cork is back in fashion after a long time out of fashion, but I agree with globetrotter, it's probably not productive to smell it.


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

I have a kitchen wall that is all brick, I have alot of corks stuck in the spaces between the bricks...I'd hate to add up tyhe cost of all the bottles that they came from...


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

Heh, every single thing I do with a cork has been hit on already. Globetrotter gave the nearly perfect set of instructions (I agree with Andy's addition, I pass my thumb over the end to ensure it is wet, thus the bottle was stored properly) or when at home, toss it to my wife's cats who will bat it around for wine drinking entertainment for me


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## Spence (Feb 28, 2006)

I don't usually even drink the wine...a sniff will tell if it's corked or if it's deserving of a sample.

-spence


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## romafan (Apr 29, 2005)

I generally ignore the cork - a sniff & sip will tell you if the bottle is corked. If the server seems especially new/uncomfortable/nervous (or is insufferably pretentious and/or condescending) I'll hold the cork up to my ear and say "It sounds good to me!"


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## Droog (Aug 29, 2006)

Another reason to look at the cork is to see if it was removed without being damaged. Otherwise, you should be on the lookout for cork flecks which might or might not make it into your sample. A significant amount of cork refuse is grounds for turning the bottle down or the staff correcting the problem.


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## CCabot (Oct 4, 2006)

You can often tell by sniffing the cork whether the wine has become contaminated by cork taint and is not drinkable anymore. This unfortunately is more common than one might think.


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

CCabot said:


> You can often tell by sniffing the cork whether the wine has become contaminated by cork taint and is not drinkable anymore. This unfortunately is more common than one might think.


Stats differ, but I have seen them estimated as high as 10% of all bottles. Sadly, most will not notice if a bottle is corked.


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## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

Can champagne become corked???

I remember this one time a few months ago, I was out on a date at this kind of casual French restaurant out this way...any who...we were on our second bottle of Bollinger when her and I both noticed that it tasted like nail polish remover (well at least how nail polish remover smells)...I actually did bring this to the waiter's attention he took the bottle back to the bar, talked it over with the bartender, and they ended up replacing the bottle...but I've never ever experienced anything like that before...I mean, I know if you open a bottle and let it sit for a while it'll turn (which isnt really anything you have to worry about at my house ), but I've never heard of it getting corked before...


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## Droog (Aug 29, 2006)

I can't see why any bottle, champagne or otherwise, can't be spoiled either by cork failure or even sanitation (in that the bottle was contaminated at the time of being filled and sealed).

I have mentioned elsewhere that I work retail for a winemaker for a hobby job. Around 2000, the winemaker was agonizing over whether to transition to plastic corks because of the lost cachet. The winery was losing annually right around the numbers already quoted, around 5 to 10%. He eventually went to plastic for everything except the premimum wines. Mind you, however, that even his mid-range wines are quite nice regional numbers.

Interestly, I attended a staff event at the winery last summer in which we did tastings from specific wines sealed both in natural corks and plastic corks in order to discern any differences. The conclusion was that there were indeed differences attributable to the slower maturing (caused presumably by a better seal) with the plastic corks, causing the wine to be closed and indicating the benefit (necessity?) of more breathing. Apparently, there is some debate right now in the industry as to whether being plastic and closed is the right way to go.

One main concern was resolved, that the plastic cork did not impart a plastic taste to the wine.

By the way, the plastic corks cost more than the natural ones.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

We seem to differ widely in our ability to detect the compound that makes wine "corked.' I can recall a recent bottle that I thought was "a little corky" while others thought it was fine. I asked the owner to try it. "My God, that's awful," was his comment. The next bottle was fine. Sniffing the cork gives you an idea of what tasting the wine will bring.
James Thurber (you remember James Thurber?) did a short, funny essay about wine where he suggested you ask for the cork to be chopped and put in the salad, but listening to it seems to work as well.


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## McKay (Jun 13, 2005)

I usually look at the cork (whether at home or out) just to see that it's not dry and crumbled, covered in mould, or otherwise obviously in bad shape.

I don't think that smelling it accomplishes anything. For one thing, I'd suspect that most people (including me) would have no idea what to look for in the smell, and for another, you're going to taste the wine in a moment anyway. Surely nobody rejects a bottle of wine without tasting it based only on the smell of the cork.

Now, if you intend to eat the cork, by all means smell it first!


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## eg1 (Jan 17, 2007)

A gentle squeeze will generally let you feel if the cork is still resilient as opposed to dry and crumbly. Otherwise ignore it.

Oh, and your children can make crafts from them if you collect them, like little reindeer for Christmas decorations, or a wreath, or a corkboard or, well, you get the picture ... :icon_smile:


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

McKay said:


> I usually look at the cork (whether at home or out) just to see that it's not dry and crumbled, covered in mould, or otherwise obviously in bad shape.
> 
> I don't think that smelling it accomplishes anything. For one thing, I'd suspect that most people (including me) would have no idea what to look for in the smell, and for another, you're going to taste the wine in a moment anyway. *Surely nobody rejects a bottle of wine without tasting it based only on the smell of the cork.*
> 
> Now, if you intend to eat the cork, by all means smell it first!


As I think I said above, I take the cork, put my thumb on the end to test for wetness/dryness/crumbles of the cork. I quickly pass it under my nose. If I smell a mouldy scent (which I have more than once) or a vinegary scent, I will not reject the bottle out of hand, but it will certainly make me take my sip quite gingerly and I will know what I am looking for in terms of off tastes.

To each his own though. If you are not a common wine drinker at meals, say once a year, you probably will never run into a corked bottle or know it if you do. I try to be fast and less than ostentatious with my little feel and sniff (it is not meant to be a show) but will not stop doing it as it really does give you a very fast indication of a few things.

Cheers


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

A quick look will tell you if you should be worried-- e.g., the end is not wet, it has fallen apart, etc.

As for sniffing, you should be doing that to the wine anyway. If the wine is marginally corked, you can go back to the cork for confirmation-- a truly rancid cork means that the taint will probably not dissipate with air time.


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## Mark from Plano (Jan 29, 2007)

globetrotter said:


> 2 he will pull the cork, and hand it to you. you take it, look at the ends (basically to make sure it hasn't crumbled or doesn't look rotten) and you set it down on the table. some people will sniff it, looking for a vinagary smell, but if you wno't recognize the smell, don't bother.


The other thing that I do if it's a wine I'm not familiar with it toss it into my pocket and take it home so that I can remember later "What was that wine we had at dinner with the Smith's last week?"


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## globetrotter (Dec 30, 2004)

Mark from Plano said:


> The other thing that I do if it's a wine I'm not familiar with it toss it into my pocket and take it home so that I can remember later "What was that wine we had at dinner with the Smith's last week?"


hadn't thought of that. good idea


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

I actually received a corked bottle this weekend. This is going to hurt some of you, so be warned.

My birthday was last week and my brother and his wife flew in for a three day weekend. The celebration dinner was at a high end local steak house known for its wine cellar. As I had not seen my brother for nearly two years and it was my b-day, I splurged and ordered a 1995 Petrus. The cork smelled earthy. The sip was decidely flat with musty tastes. As you can imagine with this bottle, my call on it brought the manager over. After a sniff and a sip he totally agreed. The kicker? It was their last bottle of Petrus! He suggested a 94 Opus 1. I am a regular customer there (although most certainly not a regular purchaser of Petrus!) and upon finding out it was my birthday, declared a 1/2 price special on Opus. It was a fine rich complex wine and for 50% off, I was more than happy with the whole transaction 

I wonder though, do places that have high end wines have some type of insurance for the cost of these events or (more likely) it is worked into the pricelist?


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## McKay (Jun 13, 2005)

Wayfarer said:


> I wonder though, do places that have high end wines have some type of insurance for the cost of these events or (more likely) it is worked into the pricelist?


I was under the impression that corked wine could be returned to (or simply refunded by) the distrubutor.


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

McKay said:


> I was under the impression that corked wine could be returned to (or simply refunded by) the distrubutor.


You are no doubt right for the most part. So then the distributor would build it into his pricing.


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## maplater (Mar 26, 2007)

I think the first response to this question was the most accurate


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## McKay (Jun 13, 2005)

Wayfarer said:


> You are no doubt right for the most part. So then the distributor would build it into his pricing.


Yes, somebody, at some level, has surely priced the "corking risk" into the product.


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## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

Although technically Andy et al. are correct about testing the cork, in practice it is pretty much irrelevant and the state of the cork can be a complete red herring. To echo Spence, all you need to do is swirl the wine a bit and smell it. That's how you work out whether it is ok or not. Anything else really is superfluous. 

And, please, don't send it back just because you just don't like the taste or style - only send it back if it's corked or tainted in any way.


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## KenCPollock (Dec 20, 2003)

See (f) 2) below

DINERS’ BILL OF RIGHTS
I promise to show up at the restaurant promptly at the time of my reservation, to dress impeccably, to use proper table manners, to talk softly and to pay my bill. I will also use appropriate dining customs. This means, among other things, that I will not order “blush” wine, will not eat from my companion’s plate, or ask to take the leftovers home (ill-mannered, shocking and the most boorish thing which Americans commonly do in restaurants). In return, I ask that the staff of the restaurant also behave properly. This means that:

a) No one will tell me my waiter’s first name. This is never done in sophisticated countries. It is too familiar and smacks of hyped phony friendliness and the hard sell techniques taught by Amway and Tupperware.

b) No one will address my guests, or me, as: “folks,” nor my female companions as “guys.” “Folks” means commoners and is demeaning to the guest, even if he or she is common. The term “guys” simply does not refer to women. To inquire if the guest is "still working on that” is contemptible.

c) No one will ask if I have any questions about the menu. Waiters, unless told otherwise, should assume the guest to be a regular patron and/or knowledgeable about food. To assume otherwise is demeaning.

d) While we are on the subject of menus, fine restaurants, in sophisticated countries, do not offer green salad. Obviously, one should not visit a fine restaurant, with a skilled and inventive chef, to order such an extremely simple dish. Instead, an experienced diner selects, as an appetizer, one of the more challenging and unusual dishes the chef prepares. Grand restaurants offer luxury items like foie gras, truffles, caviar, lobster, etc., among the appetizers. Additionally, sophisticated diners drink wine with their appetizers. The vinegar in salad dressing ‘fights” with wine. However, if one just must have a salad, it is incorrect to eat it at the beginning of the meal, when the diner is hungriest and his palate is already fresh. Instead, it is acceptable to eat a salad, after the main course, but before the cheese course, to refresh the palate. 

e) Again, while we are on the subject of menus, the word “entree” is a French word, meaning to “come in” or “enter.” It is also used on the menu in France, and in every other country, except this one, to mean, obviously, the “entering” dish, or the appetizer Doubt this? See over for bills from two Paris restaurants. Long ago, someone simply made a mistake in this county, in thinking “entree” meant the main course. Now we seem to be stuck with the improper use of the word. It is not feasible to try to correct the entire American public as to its error. Nor is it possible to try to explain this American mistake to the rest of the world. However, now that we get a few foreign visitors, restaurants should avoid the confusion that the use of the word results in. Restaurants should simply leave the term “entree” off the menu. Waiters should be instructed to use the words “appetizer” and “main course” or “main dish,” instead of mentioning the word “entree.”

f) Typical American mistakes concerning wine should be avoided:
1)	In the U.S., white wines are usually served too cold, and red ones too warm. Fine red wines are served at room temperature, but the room in question is the wine cellar, which is not more than 55 degrees. Young, lighter reds, like Beaujolais, are always served slightly chilled.
2)	The wine cork is never placed on the table or given to the guest. After checking it, the waiter should put it in his pocket or drop it into the ice bucket.
3)	Wines bottles are properly held at the bottom. Waiters should avoid placing the palm of their hand against the side of the bottle, as that warms it.
4)	Fine red wines are decanted or are served from a wine basket or a wine rack. The bottle is not simply placed upright on the table. A napkin is never tied around the neck of the wine bottle.

a) In civilized countries, coffee after dinner means espresso, never weak American-style coffee. Cappuccino or coffee with milk is only properly served early in the day. Espresso, being too strong to accompany food, is always served after the guest has completed his dessert, neither before, nor with the dessert.


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