Corked wine is a generic -- and often inappropriate -- term used
to describe wine that has been tainted. So-called "cork taint"
is the most misunderstood and misreported issue in the wine
world.  Often based on anecdotes, the incidence of wine taint
has been blamed almost exclusively on cork closures.  But the
hard evidence firmly demonstrates that "cork taint" is no longer
a widespread problem.  First, let’s define taint.  The taint
typically associated with wine corks is TCA
(2,4,6-trichloroanisole).  It’s is a harmless but ubiquitous
environmental compound that gives wine a musty flavor at very
low concentrations (parts per trillion).  While TCA does come
from cork, it also comes from sources such as contaminated
winery or bottling equipment, airborne molds or chlorine-based
compounds in wineries and cellars.  A 2010 study scheduled for
publication in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Agriculture
and Food Chemistry, for example, looks at how wine barrels may
introduce TCA.  Wine can be spoiled for many