11. How can you tell if a wine is bad? What does corked mean? When can you send it back? These are only some of the questions that many first or even second-time wine lovers ask. What makes a wine bad?
There are several visual things you can look at before even purchasing a bottle of wine that may change your mind about your purchase. First, make sure the bottle is not sticky. This could mean that the bottle had a change in temperature or was stored incorrectly and that some of the wine may have seeped out. Look at the bottle to see if any wine is below where it should be; this also indicates that some wine may have seeped out. Make sure the cork is intact and is not protruding out. If the wine has been stored upright for long periods of time or even in direct sunlight, it can cause damage to the contents of the bottle. Check to see how the wine was stored. If stored properly, the contents are intact, the cork looks good, and the bottle is not sticky, you are ready for your next step.
How can you tell if your wine is “corked”?
2,4,6-Trichloroanisole or, better known as TCA, is a fungus and is one of the reasons why a wine may taste or smell bad. This is considered a “corked” wine. The cork containing the fungus will come in contact with the wine, causing the wine to be tainted. The taint is considered by most to be a wet cardboard or musty smell. The smell to me reminds me of when you leave your laundry in the washer and forget for a few days to put it in the dryer….yes, that smell.
If the wine tastes like vinegar, your wine may have a bacterial infection. No, antibiotics will not get rid of this. Don’t drink it. It may also just be out of date and/or stored too long or incorrectly. You know, you go to your friend’s house and they show you their many bottles of wines that were not meant to be aged. Many wines are meant to drink at purchase or within one to three years from purchase. Your friend’s wine is about thirty years old and it’s a Sauvignon Blanc which looks brown or a Pinot Noir which looks like rust. Rust might taste better. Throw it out. The nose alone may give you the hint.
Wines that have high alcohol or high acidity may not be bad. This may be a positive characteristic in the type of wine that you are drinking. Wines with crystals on the cork or in the wine do not mean that the wine is bad either; this is a sign of tartaric crystals which are harmless. Drink away. You may want to strain the crystals or decant them. Mold on the outside of the cork prior to opening is okay as long as it has not affected the wine on the inside of the bottle. You may have been storing this wine and the moisture could have caused the mold.
One of the things that I hate the most is when a restaurant leaves their wines open to oxygen and the wine becomes affected. Yes, aerate your wine. However, too much oxygen will make your wine taste flat and will turn it a brownish color. Aroma or flavor, forget it. Then, I hate it when they serve it in one of those “smaller” glasses that is “warm to hot” from just getting washed and they used “soap” of all things. How dare they!
I want my red served at the right temperature, in the right glass, without the taste of soap, with the right amount of oxygen exposure, and I want it to be the right color and have the right flavor and a wonderful aroma. I am a picky little creature! If you don’t like it, send it back. But, be nice.
Tell me your thoughts, make them funny, keep them nice and educate me.
Bon Vin!
Veronica
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