Why Smell The Cork?   Growing up with a chef for a father, I gleaned a few things about food and wine etiquette (although his own manners left a lot to be desired when it came to the unwitting service people who often waited on us).  I remember him swatting a cork out of my hand once saying, “You never smell the cork.”  I was impressionable at the time and perhaps for that reason it has always stuck with me.      

Etiquette and rituals around wine can intimidate the average wine drinker and no one wants to look like they don’t know what they are doing, so many wine drinkers smell the cork and subsequently look like they don’t know what they are doing.  

However, it is important to inspect the cork.  The cork should be printed with the name and year that matches the label.  The wine should stain the cork evenly at the bottom to indicate it has been stored properly and that the bottle was airtight.  Even a little bit of mold on a cork may not be a bad thing, but to know for sure if there is cork taint, the wine itself really needs to be smelled and tasted.

Despite the fact that corks may not accurately convey what’s in the bottle, people will still smell them.  Who cares, really?  We are animals, after all.  We like to smell stuff. 

I made a video about it.  Enjoy.

If you like this video response to  Andy’s Goode Life Blog question “Why Smell the Cork?” then please vote for my submission HERE!