Ordering wine can feel like a performance if you’re not a seasoned sipper. There’s the swirling, the sniffing, the obligatory nod after a tiny pour, and it’s easy to assume it’s all just for show or to see if you like the wine. But that initial sample isn’t about taste at all. It’s a quality check.That first pour is your chance to make sure the wine hasn’t gone bad. Sometimes, bottles can spoil-especially if they’ve been improperly stored or have a faulty cork-and the result is something called a “corked” wine. It might smell musty, like wet cardboard or mildew,…