How to Identify Trichloranisole in Wine

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine and known it was "off," just by the first sniff? You are not alone. An average of 7 to 10% of all wine produced in the world is affected by TCA, or Trichloranisole. It is harmless, but it's good to know what it is and what you can do when it happens to your wine.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Bottle of wine infected with TCA

1. Smell and taste the wine. Pour a little bit of your wine, swirl it and smell. You will immediately smell what can only be described as "damp basement," or in very, very bad cases, "dirty gym socks." Sip a small amount. The liquid will be virtually tasteless and without any character, whatsoever.
2. Understand what you have tasted and why it tastes this way. When corks are cleaned, prior to sealing up their respective wine bottles, a small amount of diluted chlorine solution is used to clean them. This is normally completely rinsed off, but if even 0.01% of that solution remains on the cork, the chlorine will have a chemical reaction with the wine and will produce Trichloranisole. This type of spoilage is different than "oxidization," wherein the wine will smell like sherry or port. Both types of spoilage are harmless.
3. Return the wine for a refund. Wine makers and wine stores are all completely aware of this phenomenon and it is virtually built into the system of wine sales that a certain amount of wine will be returned every year. Don't feel bad about the wine store, or even the distributor. Refunds are given to both of them. Ultimately, the money trail goes back to those responsible for the spoilage in the first place: the producer.

Tips & Warnings

• Just because a cork has a little mold or growth on the outside of the cork, doesn't mean the wine inside is bad. Open the bottle and carefully wipe the lip clean with a damp rag before serving.