How Do Corks Impact Wine Quality?

Become A Master of Wine in an Afternoon (Saturday June 17, 2017)

The role of the cork in Winemaking is under attack! Did you know that up to 10% of wines can suffer from a defect called “cork taint”? The June session of Pelican Ranch Winery’s Wine 101 series, will examine a problem that can occur with wine bottles having a cork closure but never with bottles having a twist-off cap.

We will engage in a methodical 20 minute tasting to evaluate substances that can leak from a cork and ruin the wine still in the bottle. The sensory threshold for these molecules is 7 – 10 parts per trillion, which means that a small amount goes along way. During the tasting you will have an opportunity to learn the names and off aromas of these unpleasant substances. Wine corks have been in use since the 1700’s, participants engaged in this tasting will also an opportunity to learn about some fascinating 21st century high-tech solutions being introduced to replace corks.