Why do people smell the cork during a wine service?

To see if the wine has gone bad.

The sommeliers in the restaurant do not just present the cork for you to smell only but for you to know some vital information about the wine you are served. There are some important things you should look out for when presented with the cork. These include:

Examining the shape of the cork to know if the wine is properly stored, has the wine-soaked the cork, also check if the cork is falling apart and cracking. You can also know if the wine is genuine because the producer’s name is often printed on the cork, which verifies the real winemaker.

Lastly, when you smell the cork, you will be able to detect a fault in the cork like when the wine has gone bad.