Food - Drink

Why The Cork Is Presented To You When You Order Wine

By WENDY LEIGH

According to the service standards of the Court of Master Sommeliers, when a bottle of wine is ordered in a fine-dining restaurant, the server must also present the bottle’s cork. Many wine lovers assume that this is done to allow the consumer to smell the cork for evidence of bacteria, but there are actually a couple more reasons why.

One of the most important parts of a wine cork is the stamp, which should be labeled with both the year and the variety the customer requested. Matching the stamp with the information on the bottle will reveal any unfortunate instances of counterfeiting, and Another key piece of information offered by the cork is closure quality.

A cork can tell you whether a wine has been properly stored and kept sealed or not. Any staining on the cork should only be on the tip, and the cork can also be checked for moisture and pliancy, as a soggy cork indicates that the wine has likely gone bad, while a dry cork could be failing to protect the liquid from oxidation.

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