Ever observed a cork sniffer? You watch them from afar, as they raise the cork to their flared nostrils, brow furrowed in anticipation… as if it were a 1988 Burgundian Latour. You quizzically edge closer to catch their comments as they scrutinise what was once part of a majestic cork oak tree (quercus suber). About ninety percent of the time, such sniffers haven’t a clue what they’re sniffing for!
To avoid wine snobbery and intimidation by those who appear to be in the know, I thought of writing about cork etiquette. Before I begin your first lesson on cork antics I just want to mention that I don’t profess to being a wine expert but rather a lover of fine wines. To top my love affair with wine, I quite strangely collect corks and hence the short topic of discussion today – my cork fetish.
Cork awareness is simply a ritual for being in the moment. Whatever type of day you had at the office, just let it melt away. Don’t sniff the cork, observe. The cork heralds the elegant wine that you are about to savour. That’s where your focus lies. At a party, unless you’re a world- class oenologist, don’t even attempt sniffing. You’ll merely look pretentious. But do look at the quality of the cork. If you spot a leaking cork, the wine may have oxidised. That’s when air has seeped through the cork, come into contact with the wine and spoilt it for consumption.
Now you know – not much to this sniffing of corks.
So pop that cork and enjoy.
Santé!
By Leslie Maliepaard
Wineweb Editor
wineweb.co.za;
wine-club.co.za
Source: www.ezinearticles.com
