Spotlight

A few thoughts on 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, our least favorite chemical compound…

There are few things more frustrating to a wine lover than popping the cork of a highly-anticipated bottle that is being saved for just the right occasion, only to discover that the bottle is flawed, oxidized, or “corked.” While the incidence of “corked” bottles has decreased in recent years due to improved hygeine in wineries, the much-dreaded chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (aka, TCA) still rears its ugly head more often than we’d like. We’ve always encouraged our customers to return any bottles that they believe may be corked, but we receive relatively few returns, as many persons may feel too intimidated to diagnose what may be a bad bottle, and thus they unknowingly write it off as a funky, poorly made wine that recalls the lovely smells of a rancid, moldy basement.

The Washington Post’s wine columnist, Dave McIntyre, recently wrote an interesting and informative article about the issue of corked wines in his March 4 column, which is available to view here on the Washington Post website (free registration is required). Believe it or not, we’d actually love to see more persons returning with corked bottles of wine, as we hate to think of our customers giving up on a great bottle without realizing that it’s a flawed example of an excellent wine. As any reputable retailer or restauranteur should, we will gladly exchange the corked bottle for another bottle, as long as there’s still a majority of the wine left in the bottle. It’s in your interest as a consumer and ours as a retailer to send you home with good wine, and recognizing the signs of a corked bottle will save you money and heartache in the long run.

March 06, 2009 9:57