Cork Crumbs Floating in Wine Glass

Speaking as your typical uncouth wino, I'd just fish them out with a spoon. If you or your g/f find that practice offensive, the alternative would be to discreetly alert your host to the presence of the cork crumbs and ask for a new glass of wine.

Mark Lipton

Miss Manners would say learn to enjoy cork with your wine.

If you insert a straw near the center of the glass and blow bubbles, like my kids do with chocolate milk, the bits or cork will go to the sides and stick to the glass. No problemo!

Alternatively, pour your water discreetly into a nearby pot-plant, then filter the wine into the water glass with your white cloth napkin.

These methods have the added advantage of oxygenation!

;)

-E

The serious answer is, just drink carefully.

That is why you should always carry one of these:)

Hi Lew, I checked the web site and found many interesting items, but not the item you were referring to. In my case, I would just ask for a new glass of wine that isn't "corked", or ask for a clean glass and a coffee filter. I wonder if the FDA has any guidelines on how much cork is safe to ingest?

Dick R.

Cork in moderation:)

Excellent! ;-)

M.

If there are servants, which is unlikely in most homes these days, I would attract the attention of one and softly ask to have the cork crumbs removed from the wine. The glass of wine would then be removed and likely replaced with a new glass of wine, or the wine would be taken to the kitchen for removal of the cork crumbs. In the presence of people you know, I would ask the host or hostess for a suggestion of how to avoid the cork crumbs, unless I knew they had important guests, such as the boss or an important client they wish to impress, present. In that case you likely could handle a crumb or two as you would if you found a piece of fish bone in your mouth. Use the napkin in front of your mouth and remove the crumb of cork as discretely as possible. If done carefully, most will not notice, or assume you are removing a hard lump from your food. The cork crumb is a minor problem compared to if you put a bad raw oyster in your mouth :-) . An overripe oyster of course must be removed, and the napkin trick will conceal it somewhat. Most people who eat raw oysters will understand that one rarely is served a bad raw oyster.

I thank you all for your replies. The Thanksgiving dinner was with family and relatives. The relatives I only see on the holidays so what happens at dinner will be the relatives gossip for the year until the holidays roll around again. I try to be perfect for that evening. I definitely think the napkin trick would be best in dealing with this cork crumb problem.

Some one posted a comment about the safety of ingesting some cork. Are the corks sterilized before being used in the bottles? Is there enough alcohol in the wine itself to sterilize the cork that is in contact with the wine?. TIA.

Corks are in no way toxic, whether sterilized or not. I wouldn't even think of bothering.

M.

i would just drink it together with the wine but not swallowing the cork crumbs of course and spit it out nicely on a napkin or something