Christian: Have you ever wondered why your prized bottle of wine tasted like musk, vinegar, or cardboard? This month, we’ll talk about the real reason the sommelier offers a taste before pouring for the table.

David: There is nothing more disappointing than cracking the cork on the bottle that’s been in your cellar, being saved for a great occasion, and PHUYYEE!!! Even if mixed with a little olive oil, it still wouldn’t be suitable for salad dressing.

C: The most famous wine killer is commonly known as “being corked.” Cork is susceptible to rot and disease, like any other living thing. Pollutants and preservatives cause cork trees to produce TCA, which remains in the cork even after being placed in the bottle. Sorry folks, there is no preventive measure to avoid it.

D: When the wine is corked, it smells like … cork. Actually the wine usually becomes void of all fruit aromas, and the cork takes over like a hostage situation. The only way to guarantee having no “corked” wines in your cellar is to buy only wines with screw caps. That seems like a drastic approach to me. Some things in life we have to leave to chance.

C: Aha! I remember this discussion several months ago, when I told you screw caps were better? Now I see you joining my side of that debate. On to the next wine killer . . . oxygen. If wine is stored improperly, the cork will dry out and shrink slightly. This enables air to get to the wine, and age it at a detrimental rate. The result is usually a strong vinegar flavor.

D: Always store your wine bottles on their side. The juice will keep the cork moist, and prevent it from drying.

C: Heat and light are the next enemies. It amazes me to see wine shops displaying old vintages of great Bordeaux in the storefront glass windows. The sun beating down on the glass is basically cooking the wine as people are ogling over the label. Hate to be the poor sucker that spends $500 on that bottle.

D: Wine should be stored between 55 and 60 degrees in a location with little light and rarely changing temperatures. Although most wineries have perfected their shipping methods, it makes me nervous to consider ordering wine from California to be shipped east in midsummer. That poor bottle is sitting on a truck through blistering Arizona heat and up to the chilled Colorado Rockies before it reaches its delivery point. We hope it doesn’t die before reaching almost heaven, West Virginia.

C: Don’t jump to conclusions about your wine being tainted right away. I drove across country from California to Shepherdstown, and stopped in Vegas for two nights in the heart of summer. I was 24 years old and in a hurry to get to the pool at the Hard Rock, so naturally I forgot the two cases of wine in my trunk. I got lucky. Not only did I do okay on the blackjack tables, my wine somehow weathered 105 degrees unscathed.

D: Okay, on to the last wine killer—time. There are some white wines that age pretty well: chardonnay, pinot blanc, and champagne come to mind. But be careful with crisp, clean refreshing varietals like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, viognier. They usually have a four-year life, tops. Reds usually age better than whites, but not all reds are worthy of a long nap in your cellar.

C: The most “ageable” white wine is German Riesling. Holy sweet nectar of the gods! To watch the changes in a bottle of Riesling over time is truly amazing. The color upon release is usually a straw or light yellow—your typical white wine color. After six to 10 years a magical change takes place, and you will notice an amazing electric yellow that looks almost like antifreeze. And wow, are the flavors great!

D: But be careful holding onto your wines for too long. All wine are not better with age. Here you have to do a little homework. Not only does a wine’s “ageability” depend on the grape type, it depends on the vintage.

C: Enough talk about death and disease … how about suggesting a bargain wine that is drinking great right now?

D: I’ll go with Andeluna torrontes, from Mendoza, Argentina. Torrontes is the new hip white wine grape of South America that is catching on like wild fire, kind of like pinot grigio did a decade ago. The wine tastes like a cross between viognier and Gewurztraminer. It’s a floral wine with great acidity, a perfect summer sipper. If you can’t find the Andeluna, Alamos makes a great torrontes too. Both are about $12–15.

C: I am staying on the Riesling kick. Try Dr. Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstübe, Kabinett, 2006, or, if you can wait, the 2007 is coming soon. I just tried it with the importer, and wow! Nose of cloves, bananas, tropical fruit. Slightly sweet yet not cloying. A perfect way to begin or end the evening. Should be right around $20. Attention German wine fans. Get ready, the early word is that the 2007 vintage is off the charts!