Can wine be affected by TCA only through the cork?
No. TCA is often referred to as “cork taint” which wrongly suggests that cork is the sole cause of TCA. However, TCA can be found in bottled water, wine bottled with screw caps, beer, spirits, soft drink, packaged food products and even raisins. TCA in wine may be due to contaminated oak barrels or corks, contaminated winery machinery or bottling equipment, airborne molds in the winery environment or molds in transport containers or even the home cellar.
