Why do people still sniff the cork?!
Answers: don't they know this is not correct? the cork is to be visually inspected for dryness or cracks to ensure it was properly stored. if there are cracks or it is crumbly it was improperly stored and probably compromised due to air getting into the bottle. smelling the cork will only get you a noseful of cork, (and possibly a hidden snicker). Does this bother you too?
In a young bottle of wine, the wine stain should only be at the bottom of the cork. When the temperature rises, the wine starts to push up the side of the cork, leaving its stain higher up, indicating a possible problem with the wine.
So where did smelling corks come from? Upon inspecting the cork, they also smelled it to see if the wine had anything wrong with it. They thought that they could smell “corkiness” or other faults in the wine by smelling the cork. Some wine experts say the cork can be examined for cracks or mold. Sadly, it used to be that one would sniff the cork, but that is not the case these days. It's better to sniff the wine in the glass before drinking.
1. Never buy wine with a "sell by" date
2. Never pay more than $100 for a bottle of wine, unless the grapes are stomped by Sophia Loren.
1. The phrase, "Unpretentious with a hint of smelliness," refers to:
A. Your uncle's plaid jacket
B. Manischewitz and Coca-Cola
C. A domestic Chablis
D. Nasti Spumanti
Recent studies have found that smelling a cork is not a foolproof way to detect any taint in a wine. If you have ever smelled a cork, what does it smell like? It smells like ... cork!
It does not bother me at all. Many people sniff the cork to detect "off scents" such as vinegar and oxidation. I, personally, do not believe that it is incorrect to do so.perhaps outdated, but not incorrect. I save my "being bothered" for things that are more important to me.
Inspect it for breakdown & also that the cork matches the mfg.
I am a former chef and a past member of the French Trade Unions wine society in Toronto ON Canada, and as the first lady said is is partial due to the smell of the wine, but in the olden days if the wine was not only bad or had been poisoned the smell of the poison would be in the cork, as wine is stored on its side in cellars.
Some poisons like arsenic, hemlock and stricnine have distinct odors to them and an experienced sommelier would either have detected them or may have put them there for revenge???
Cork is natural also so it has no smell itself the wine is what is infused into it, moldy, off or tained wine cannot escape the corks ability to retain it's aromas.
Poisons kill! Maybe they're just being careful? Now...to be serious...it doesn't bother me though I get a chuckle out of it!
A bit off topic, speaking of poisoned wine, a neighbour proudly gave me a bottle of his home made wine, one quick sniff of the stuff and down the drain it went. Have no idea if it was poison or not, but wow, It was the best drain opener I have ever tried. Good thing I did not put the cork up to my nose I guess.
Does that really bother you? Wine snobs like you bother me. Get over yourself and let people enjoy themselves.
Stop telling the world what is "correct". I'd rather detect bad wine by smelling the cork than by sipping the wine or even by sticking my nose into the glass.