What is a corked wine you ask?
Whenever you open a wine, or have a wine opened for you in a restaurant, there is always the possibility of getting a corked bottle. This is a wine that has been contaminated by a molecule, or a family of molecules, that can impart a very specific aroma.
Cork is not actually always the culprit in a so called corked wine. Cork was assumed to be the source, hence, the nickname, but it occurs in wine that has been exposed to haloanisoles. These are a class of compounds that can impart a musty, or moldy aroma in wine. Haloanisoles can be present in cork, but they can also be in the winery, in the water, or in the vineyard. The main haloanisole found in wine is TCA. TCA and Cork taint and generally used interchangeably even though there are other molecules that can contribute to the signature smell.
Moldy and musty characters are generally seen as flaws in wine.
This taint can be found in other things besides just wine. One place I always smell cork taint is on baby carrots. They always have cork taint. (BTW – cork taint is not harmful it just is not how the wine, or carrots are supposed to taste). The next time you eat baby carrots smell them and ask yourself… does this smell musty? Another way cork taint is described is wet cardboard. Do your baby carrots smell like wet cardboard? THEY DO!
If in a restaurant, the server pours you a small taste of wine and it smells like baby carrots, or wet cardboard – tell them that the wine is corked. They are frequently not used to this, but etiquette indicates that they should bring you a new bottle and repeat the taste – just make sure they give you a new glass because cork taint will probably be noticeable in a second wine poured into the same glass.
The statistics vary, but anywhere from 2% – 8% of wines sold are tainted by the haloanisole class of compounds.