Recently, I lamented an encounter with a very corked bottle of Burgundy.
Although at the time I referred to it as a Leroy Volnay, it was in fact
a 1990 Potinet-Ampeau Volnay-Clos des Chênes. In response, we placed
the wine in a device known as the "Dream-Taste," an Xmas present last
year. This device is a pitcher with a lid into which you put the corked
wine and a plastic "filter" that is shaped like a grape cluster. You
let the wine sit for a length of time, during which the TCA taint is
supposed to be removed from the wine, leaving you with an uncorked
product. We gave the corked Volnay about a two hour treatment and
rebottled it. Two nights ago, we tried it:

nose: just the barest hint of cork taint (compared to an overwhelming
nose of TCA previously), muted dark fruits and a slight roasted note
palate: big, dark fruit, good structure, a slight caramel note, blocky,
foursquare

There is no doubt that the Dream-Taste did remove most if not quite all
of the cork taint (note: Jean, who is slightly less sensitive to TCA
than I didn't get any cork taint in the treated wine). What we cannot
tell is whether anything else was removed from the wine. What we got
was a very drinkable, if unremarkable, wine without a whole lot of
varietal character. Whether that was the result of the treatment or a
reflection of year or producer is just not possible to tell. All in
all, an interesting experiment, though.

Mark Lipton

This is fascnating. I tried to google up some info on how this thing might remove the TCA contamination. A problem that has vexed winemakers and drinkers for a long time. Here is some of their marketing blurb ...
"Well, now there may be a way to preserve those "corked" bottles -- by removing the molecule called TCA -- which ruins the taste of your fine wine.

Two wine experts from the Burgundy region of eastern France have created a new device called the Le kit Dream Taste to preserve the taste of your "special" wine.

Gerard Michel is one of the inventors responsible for this new system that will be available this summer for the first time in the comfort of your own home.

His system is the result of twenty-five years of research. It is a physical process called 'ionic filtration' which absorbs the "polluting" molecules in wine.

The result of his work has the opportunity to impact the estimated 1.5 billion bottles of wine contaminated in the world each year.


Physics Not Chemicals in The Magic Bunch

The Dream Taste kit does not use chemicals.

The Dream Taste Kit removes the TCA (2,4,6 Trichloroanisole) molecule using a copolymer, a synthetic material that draws TCA molecules out of the wine."



Anyone have any insight as to how this copolymer pulls the TCA molecules out?




> Recently, I lamented an encounter with a very corked bottle of Burgundy.
> Although at the time I referred to it as a Leroy Volnay, it was in fact
> a 1990 Potinet-Ampeau Volnay-Clos des Chênes. In response, we placed
> the wine in a device known as the "Dream-Taste," an Xmas present last
> year. This device is a pitcher with a lid into which you put the corked
> wine and a plastic "filter" that is shaped like a grape cluster. You
> let the wine sit for a length of time, during which the TCA taint is
> supposed to be removed from the wine, leaving you with an uncorked
> product. We gave the corked Volnay about a two hour treatment and
> rebottled it. Two nights ago, we tried it:
>
> nose: just the barest hint of cork taint (compared to an overwhelming
> nose of TCA previously), muted dark fruits and a slight roasted note
> palate: big, dark fruit, good structure, a slight caramel note, blocky,
> foursquare
>
> There is no doubt that the Dream-Taste did remove most if not quite all
> of the cork taint (note: Jean, who is slightly less sensitive to TCA
> than I didn't get any cork taint in the treated wine). What we cannot
> tell is whether anything else was removed from the wine. What we got
> was a very drinkable, if unremarkable, wine without a whole lot of
> varietal character. Whether that was the result of the treatment or a
> reflection of year or producer is just not possible to tell. All in
> all, an interesting experiment, though.
>
> Mark Lipton

Ric, I believe if you do some searches here for "plastic wrap tca"
you'll find some theories re how it would work.
My personal opinion (based on the Saran wrap method) is that it's worth
trying,but there are likely to be some oxidation issues just because it
takes a while to work.

"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> Recently, I lamented an encounter with a very corked bottle of Burgundy.
> Although at the time I referred to it as a Leroy Volnay, it was in fact
> a 1990 Potinet-Ampeau Volnay-Clos des Chênes. In response, we placed
> the wine in a device known as the "Dream-Taste," an Xmas present last
> year. This device is a pitcher with a lid into which you put the corked
> wine and a plastic "filter" that is shaped like a grape cluster. You
> let the wine sit for a length of time, during which the TCA taint is
> supposed to be removed from the wine, leaving you with an uncorked
> product. We gave the corked Volnay about a two hour treatment and
> rebottled it. Two nights ago, we tried it:
>
> nose: just the barest hint of cork taint (compared to an overwhelming
> nose of TCA previously), muted dark fruits and a slight roasted note
> palate: big, dark fruit, good structure, a slight caramel note, blocky,
> foursquare
>
> There is no doubt that the Dream-Taste did remove most if not quite all
> of the cork taint (note: Jean, who is slightly less sensitive to TCA
> than I didn't get any cork taint in the treated wine). What we cannot
> tell is whether anything else was removed from the wine.

However, it was better than pouring it down the sink, n'est-ce pas?
Graham


What we got
> was a very drinkable, if unremarkable, wine without a whole lot of
> varietal character. Whether that was the result of the treatment or a
> reflection of year or producer is just not possible to tell. All in
> all, an interesting experiment, though.
>
> Mark Lipton

graham wrote:

> However, it was better than pouring it down the sink, n'est-ce pas?
> Graham

Precisely my point, Graham. Had this been a recently purchased wine, it
would have been returned to the retailer; had it been of no great
consequence, it would have gone down the drain. Instead, as a one-off
chance at an aged Volnay that I'd purchased at auction, why not give it
a rip? I don't know how expensive the Dream-Taste inserts are, but
since they can only be used once, I won't make a regular habit of this...

Cheers!
Mark Lipton

If you put Saran wrap over your face....it would end the TCA also. You
would not notice it any more. :-)


"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> graham wrote:
>
>> However, it was better than pouring it down the sink, n'est-ce pas?
>> Graham
>
> Precisely my point, Graham. Had this been a recently purchased wine, it
> would have been returned to the retailer; had it been of no great
> consequence, it would have gone down the drain. Instead, as a one-off
> chance at an aged Volnay that I'd purchased at auction, why not give it
> a rip? I don't know how expensive the Dream-Taste inserts are, but
> since they can only be used once, I won't make a regular habit of this...
>
> Cheers!
> Mark Lipton

Ric wrote:
> This is fascnating. I tried to google up some info on how this thing
> might remove the TCA contamination. A problem that has vexed winemakers
> and drinkers for a long time. Here is some of their marketing blurb ...

Ric,
This is yet another example of a solid-liquid extraction of TCA.
FWIW, you could get the same result by putting the wine into a
separatory funnel with some hexane and extracting the TCA out (but who'd
want to drink the wine afterward? ;-)) If, as Dale suggests, you review
the thread about Saran wrap removing TCA, you can read much more of my
blathering on on this topic. :P

Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> graham wrote:
>
>> However, it was better than pouring it down the sink, n'est-ce pas?
>> Graham
>
> Precisely my point, Graham. Had this been a recently purchased wine, it
> would have been returned to the retailer; had it been of no great
> consequence, it would have gone down the drain. Instead, as a one-off
> chance at an aged Volnay that I'd purchased at auction, why not give it
> a rip? I don't know how expensive the Dream-Taste inserts are, but
> since they can only be used once, I won't make a regular habit of this...
>
Certainly not with everyday plonk but a good burg is a different matter!
Graham