Describes wine that has been ruined by a fungal infection in the cork, giving it an unpleasant musty taste; also means having a cork in it, or tipsy from drinking.
Past participle of 'cork' (to stop with a cork), used as an adjective. The wine-spoilage meaning emerged in the 20th century as cork became standard for wine bottles and contamination became noticeable.
Cork taint is a genuinely tragic problem for wine lovers—a mold called TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) can live dormant in cork for years, and even the tiniest amount ruins an entire bottle, which is why some wineries are switching to screw caps.
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