How To Spot Wine Faults
Like many of us, wine can occasionally suffer from a few faults. Because of the nature of wine, it can be affected by the elements, which can spoil the wine. It’s not nice and could be heart-breaking, but if you know how to spot the faults, you’ll enjoy wine to its fullest.
So, what wine faults can we look out for?
Corked Wine
One of the most well-known spoilers of wine is when it is corked. A tell-tale sign is the smell, similar to soggy paper or wet dog. It may sound obvious, but wine can only be corked if the stopper is made of cork. So, if you’re unlucky enough to open a bottle of wine and it smells musty, then your wine could be tainted by the cork. The cause is bacteria combined with chlorophenols, but fear not, corked wine is harmless. It just doesn’t taste good.
Reduced Wine
Reduced wines have pongs of cabbage or rubber. The reduction might happen because the lack of oxygen during winemaking leads to unsavoury aromas. But not all hope is lost; swirling the glass or decanting the wine may aid aeration. Sadly, this doesn’t always work, and the pong of the wine may be too unpleasant.
Oxidation
Oxidation can be detected by the smell, which can be richly sweet and caramelly, or by the change of colour. If the wine has been exposed to too much oxygen, it will dull the wine and make it unpleasant. Oxidised white wine may turn brown/yellow, and red wines will turn brownish.
Volatile Acidity
If the acidity balance is off, then your nose will detect a plethora of notes, including nail polish remover and vinegar. Sometimes, the wine will be drinkable and perhaps even add complexity, but in extreme cases, it makes it undrinkable.
Brettanomyces
Brettanomyces (Brett) is a yeast that naturally occurs on grains and fruit. It’s synonymous with ales making. It smells of the farm and sweat and can add to wine’s savoury aspects. But the longer it’s allowed to grow, the worse the wine will taste.
Fermented Wine
Some wines can become fermented; you’ll know because they’ll feel a little unintentionally fizzy. It will also offer off flavours not meant to be there, which are caused by small amounts of sugar and yeast still left in the wine. Natural and organic wines tend to be prone to fermentation, but the bubbles can be removed by decanting and aerating the wine.
The good news is that these flaws are not bad for your health and are somewhat subjective. Some winemakers and connoisseurs enjoy these imperfections, so it’s entirely down to personal choice.