Is my wine corked? What are some possible defects I should watch out for when opening a bottle of wine?
There are many possible defects that can appear in a bottle of wine, sensed by either appearance, smell or taste.
Oxidised wines: Oxidation can happen when wine is exposed to too much oxygen either through poor wine-making, a faulty closure or it is just aged too long. These wines tend to smell stale (or some say it smells of sherry) and appear brownish in color for reds and amber for whites.
Cloudy appearance: If a wine remains very cloudy even after it has been standing upright letting any sediment fall, then this could be due to the growth of yeast or bacteria.
Fizziness: Some young white wines are bottled under carbon dioxide to keep them fresh and there may still be a slight spritz if you drink it very young. However, if a wine fizzes when it shouldn't, it may indicate that the wine has started to ferment again and this is definitely a defect.
Mustiness: This is a general sympton of a corked wine.
Vinegary wines: This is a result of acetic acid from the activity of yeast or bacteria and exposure to oxygen.
Sulphur smell: This is caused by excessive hydrogen sulfide formed during the fermentation process. Though unpleasant, the wine is drinkable. One traditional remedy is to drop a copper coin into the wine to eliminate the odor. -J.S.
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