When wine tasting is your favorite past time, it’s common
to come across bad bottles at times. Even if you’re new to the world of wine,
spotting a bad taste isn’t difficult. With little patience and practice, you’ll
naturally become a pro at spotting flaws.
Here, we have listed some of the common flaws to look out
for.
Cork Taint
By the name, you must have guessed that cork is the
culprit for making the wine taste bad. It’s one of the most common wine faults
that happens due to the presence of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) in wine, which
is typically transferred from the cork. Corked wine is easy to deduct because
of its moldy smell.
Cooked
Wine becomes cooked when it’s overheated. Just like an
over-brewed tea, overcooked wine has a stewed taste. This happens when the wine
is stored at a high temperature. For the same reason, you’re suggested not to
let the wine site without its container.
Oxidation
Oxidation happens a lot during the winemaking process.
Due to the presence of too much oxygen, the chemical balance in the wine
weakens and the wine becomes flat, dull or bitter.
Reduction
Opposite to oxidation is a reduction that happens when a
wine does not receive oxygen, insufficient amount, during the aging process.
This is easily deducted as wine smells like burnt rubber or rotten eggs.
Sulfur
During the winemaking, sulfur is commonly added to keep
bacteria at bay. Also, this helps in preventing oxidation. Though sulfur goes
unnoticed, sometimes the wine smells like asparagus.
Refermenting
Refermenting occurs when the wine begins fermenting
again. This happens due to the presence of yeast and sugar in the bottle.
Ultimately, this creates mild bubbles and results in an unpleasant taste.
Using these tips you’ll be able to spot wine flaws (if
any) on your next visit to Fair Play
wineries events. This way, you’ll take
home what’s good and eliminate what’s not.
