There are many factors that can cause wine to no longer be in optimal condition. Often just smelling and/or tasting is enough to identify the bad guys. Poor manufacturing combined with poor preservation used to be one of the most common reasons for this. Usually because hygiene in many bodegas was poor; The wine barrels were not properly cleaned, the manufacturing process was not properly controlled, the environment in which the wine was produced did not meet the requirements, etc. Today, the processing techniques and equipment of most wine producers are of such quality that most of the "old ” problems will no longer occur. Yet we often come across a wine that is no longer in good condition, below are the most common causes;
1.Oxidation
Oxidation is caused by the wine coming into too much contact with air, that is; during the stay in an unopened bottle. The reason for this is usually due to the cork. In the case of a natural cork, often because it has become porous because the bottle has been left upright for too long (causing the cork to dry out and eventually become porous, allowing oxygen to enter the bottle), or because during the manufacture of the cork something went wrong. In the case of a plastic cork, the reason is often that it does not close the bottle neck 100% like a "real" cork, so that oxygen can slip in between the minimal, imperceptible openings. Oxidation can be recognized by the often-stale smell and the orange/brownish tint that the red wine has acquired. With white wine the color is often exaggeratedly yellow. A bit cloudy instead of nice and clear is often also an indication. An oxidized wine can usually no longer be saved.
2.Reduction
Reduction can also be a cause. This is the opposite of oxidation where there is too little oxygen in the bottle. This can cause foul odors reminiscent of chemical medications, burning smells or rotten eggs. The cause may be a late filtering of the wine or because the wine has not been sufficiently exposed to the air before being bottled. In many cases this problem can still be remedied by allowing the wine to breathe for a long time or by decanting it (pouring it into a decanter).
3.Sulphurous
Often due to the addition of sulfite (which is legally required!) to the wine. Here we are often dealing with a sharp odor that resembles that of a just lit match, rotten eggs, rubber or garlic. With a bit of luck this can be solved by giving the wine a lot of air.
4.Cork
Cork is odorless, so when people say that a wine smells like cork, it really just means that it smells bad (like mold). This is usually because the cork is not properly clean and therefore contains fungi and bacteria. These bacteria convert into mold, which in turn causes the unpleasant odor. This is a fairly serious problem because this smell cannot be removed. Although it is called “cork”, this has nothing to do with the quality of the cork, but the hygienic processing of the wine. So rinse it down the sink!
5.Vinegarous
If the wine smells of vinegar, this is most likely due to too much acetic acid. Possibly due to too low humidity in the bodega. This causes the cork to be compressed too much, meaning that no oxygen can reach the wine at all. Another cause may be a poor ripening process. This is one of the most common mistakes of the blemishes described here. Can't be saved anymore.
6.Tartar
Sometimes you will find some kind of transparent small balls in (usually) white wine. This is tartar and is often caused by turbulent transport, with or without large temperature differences. These “crystal” balls are tasteless and harmless. It can give a slightly unpleasant sensation in the mouth, but that is all. So just drink it!
7.Sediment or deposit
With (especially older) red wine it often happens that there is some depot or lees in the bottle. These are the solid components of the wine that sink to the bottom due to the long standstill (compare it with a glass of fresh orange juice that you leave for a while). That is why there is a “soul” at the bottom of the wine bottle (that hole you can stick your thumb in). This ensures that the lees can adhere to it and do not swirl around throughout the bottle. If you have to deal with this, decanting is the solution. I personally decant with the bottle neck over a candle so that I can stop pouring in time if such a solid component passes by.
8.Bubbles
If you are not drinking sparkling wine and there are still bubbles in your wine, it could be that an (unintentional) second fermentation is taking place in the bottle, often caused by a light filtering of the wine. In general, this occurs with white and rosé wines and does not have to be a negative sensation. If these bubbles occur in red wine, it will often taste somewhat bitter and/or vinegary.
9.Wood
Usually wood aging is very positive for the development of wine, but sometimes it can also be too much of a good thing. In that case the wine will have a chestnut-like, not bright color and will smell excessively of wood. In some cases the taste will be sweet and sour.
Roel Peters RP-Vinos USA
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