Have any readers out there had experiences where people have looked down on you for investigating the cork? Or been fooled by a bottle (either with a nice bottle under a musty cork or a bad bottle under a sweet-smelling cork)? If so, please share.

Constable Estate Vineyards Carley Woods

I'd say: don't sniff the cork, sniff the wine. And taste it.

I've never ran into a "sweet-smelling" cork (sounds suspicious) and as far as I know where looking at the possible chemical interaction between wine and cork. As we are not going to drink the cork, it's the wine we should concentrate on.

The only thing I do with a cork is to make sure the name and or vintage on cork match name and or vintage on bottle. Aside from that the cork does not tell you much cork could smell and feel great but wine is bad or vice versa.

I remember a funny episode in New-Zealand:
The waiter poured a little wine to let us judge wether it be good or not. It was perfect, in fact the wine had a screwcap, like most New-Zealand wines. We laughed and asked what's the purpose for letting the people taste, since there could be no bad cork smell. The waiter explained it is done because of tradition, it is part of the magic when serving a wine.

I wished more European producers would switch to screwcaps as well, too many wines going down the sink because of bad cork.

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...what's the purpose for letting the people taste, since there could be no bad cork smell."

A screwcap doesn't guarantee pristine handling of a wine before or after bottling. So even with a screw cap, the wine could still have been cooked or otherwise flawed, rendering it undrinkable.
That said, I don't see any reason to smell the cork. Under the best of circumstances, it's likely to just smell like cork. Inspect it; don't sniff it. Sniff and taste the wine instead, as Rik said.

That's right.
Cork is indeed a big issue, but wine can be bad for a lot of reasons.

People looking down on you for investigating a cork? Here's another challenge: sending back an overpriced -let's say - Chablis premier cru that turns out to be a thin, sour unappetizing liquid, while looking the wine waiter straight in the eye...

I always check the side of the cork to make sure there wasn't any seepage all the way out. I only sniff the cork if the wine smells or tastes bretty or corked to see if the cork has the same odor.

I sniff the cork as I've found it to be a pretty reliable sign of TCA. I'm not going to toss a wine based on that of course, as taste is the only sure way.

I think sniffing the cork is a reliable way of detecting TCA. There's a big difference between a cork smell and a corked cork smell. Sometimes you can't initially taste the TCA, but the impression will build until the wine is intolerable; so, when ordering a wine at a restaurant I smell the cork and if it smells "corked," I send it back. I don't want to be sending it back after we've each killed half a glass.

I just gently feel the bottom of the cork to see if it is moist.
I don't smell corks, nor do I smell screwcaps.

Unfortunately bottles under Stelvin can be infected with TCA.

I examine the cork, but do not smell it. I smell the pour first without swirling and then take a small taste. I seem to be extra-sensitive to TCA and find it in about 8% off the bottles I open.

For some reason brett--especially the bandaid/dirty diaper strain (as opposed to the barnyard)--bothers me more and more.

I dont sniff the cork but I look at it and feel it to see if their might be some seepage if the cork gets gooey or saturated from bottle aged red wines.

All this sniffing, squeezing, feeling of corks - I think there is something Freudian going on. No wonder so many people are against the switch to Stelvin. It just isn't the same.

I do a quick mental check, almost nonexistent check, to see the condition of the cork.

I'm not sure why...

Since I am going to smell and taste the wine and act on that observation, not the cork inspection.

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The only thing I do with a cork is to make sure the name and or vintage on cork match name and or vintage on bottle. Aside from that the cork does not tell you much cork could smell and feel great but wine is bad or vice versa.

I also roll it around in fingers to ascertain that it is not dried out or cracked

The only time I will sniff of a cork is if I think the wine is TCA tainted. Then I will take the cork cut it in half and take a good long smell. I think I learned this from Pyang when we were at NV a few years back.

Sometimes when I'm messing with a pretentious waiter, I take a bite out of the cork, pretend to chew it a bit, and then proclaim the wine to be unfit. Makes them go all goofy.

Put me in the category of those who examine the cork, but not sniff it.

I'll judge the wine based on its condition in the glass.

I sniff, especially on Italians. No stats, but pretty sure bad smellng cork usually = bad wine in my experience.

I'm with Rothko.

silly kids, sniffing is for glue, NOT corks.

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Originally posted by Board-O:
I'm with Rothko.

Ditto.

I don't sniff. I usually just look at the cork to see if it's in "good condition": only bottom is moist, no evidence of wine slipping through the sides, etc.

Agree with all the others that have mentioned it is beter to taste and smell the wine itself!

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Originally posted by vinole:
I always check the side of the cork to make sure there wasn't any seepage all the way out. I only sniff the cork if the wine smells or tastes bretty or corked to see if the cork has the same odor.

Same here, also, I give the cork a squeeze. It seems like 9 times out of 10, if the cork is "corked" then it is soft too. When the cork is hard and the wine is "corked", then I would venture to say that the problem is at the winery, not the cork. I have no proof, just a guess. I have definitely sent bottles back at a restaurant, only for the waiter to bring me a second corked bottle of the same wine. At that point, I just order a different wine. For some reason, it always seems to be Italian wines that result in the "double corked" event. Next time this happens, I will have to make a mental note as to whether or not the cork is hard or soft. Repeat 9 times, do a linear regression, and then I will get back to everyone and let them know what I think (to a 90% confidence level)

I prefer to set the cork on the table, ask the person across from me to raise both arm straight up, then I give the cork a quick flick of my middle finger. If the cork goes through the uprights==3 points. If it pulls to the left or right, I apologize to the other diners. If it hits my table mate in the face, the cork must be bad.

Then I smell and taste the wine.