WINE FLAWS
WILLIAMSON WINE APPRECIATION
Is Something Wrong with This Wine?
Some surprises are harmless. Others deserve another bottle.
Crystals, sediment and a little trapped carbon dioxide can occur naturally. Vinegar, wet cardboard or a tired, cooked character may indicate a genuine fault. Here is how to tell the difference.
DISCUSSIONS WITH BILL WILLIAMSON
Before You Decide
Wine lovers usually open a bottle looking for pleasure. Winemakers are trained to notice what might have gone wrong. When something seems unusual, borrow a little of that patience before sending the bottle down the drain.
Look
Check for crystals, sediment, cloudiness, leakage or a cork that has been pushed upward.
Smell
Pour a small amount into a clean glass. Smell it before and after a gentle swirl.
Taste
If the wine smells sound, take a small taste. Temperature and trapped gas can affect its first impression.
Do not judge the wine by smelling the cork alone. The glass provides a much clearer view of what is happening in the bottle.
HARMLESS BUT SURPRISING
Tartrate Crystals
Small crystals may collect on the cork or settle at the bottom of the bottle. They can resemble tiny pieces of glass, but they are harmless deposits formed from tartaric acid and potassium naturally present in grapes and wine.
Many wineries chill wine before bottling to encourage these crystals to form in the tank. This process is called cold stabilization. A naturally made wine may still develop crystals later, particularly after exposure to cold temperatures.
Stand the bottle upright, allow the crystals to settle and pour the wine carefully. The crystals may be left behind, but the wine need not be.
COMMON WINE FAULTS
What Your Nose May Notice
Wine aromas are personal, and sensitivity varies considerably. These descriptions are reference points rather than a test you must pass.
WET CARDBOARD OR MUSTY CELLAR
Cork Taint
Cork taint is most commonly associated with a compound called TCA. The wine may smell of damp cardboard, a moldy cellar or a wet newspaper.
Sometimes the fault is obvious. At lower levels, the wine may simply seem strangely quiet, with its fruit and freshness suppressed. Cork taint does not make the wine dangerous, but the pleasure has left the bottle.
VINEGAR OR NAIL-POLISH REMOVER
Volatile Acidity
Volatile acidity, usually shortened to VA, describes volatile acids and related compounds that rise from the wine and are detected by smell.
Acetic acid may suggest vinegar, while ethyl acetate can resemble nail-polish remover or solvent. Very small amounts can contribute aromatic lift, but once the character dominates, the wine loses its fruit, balance and pleasure.
BARNYARD, LEATHER OR BANDAGE
Brettanomyces
Brettanomyces—usually called Brett—is a spoilage yeast capable of producing aromas described as barnyard, horse blanket, leather, medicinal bandage or game.
Some drinkers tolerate these aromas at very low levels and may even associate them with traditional European wines. Sensitivity varies, but when Brett obscures the wine’s fruit and sense of place, it is a fault.
BRUISED APPLE, NUTS OR TIRED FRUIT
Oxidation and Acetaldehyde
A wine exposed to too much oxygen may lose its fresh fruit and begin to smell like bruised or overripe apple, nuts or dry straw. Its color may also appear unexpectedly brown.
Acetaldehyde is one compound associated with this oxidative character. Certain wine styles intentionally use controlled oxidation, but in a fresh Williamson table wine these tired aromas are not part of the plan.
ROTTEN EGG, CABBAGE OR GARLIC
Volatile Sulfur Compounds
Hydrogen sulfide can resemble rotten egg. Other volatile sulfur compounds may suggest cabbage, onion, rubber or garlic. These aromas can develop through several pathways during fermentation and aging.
A mildly reduced wine may improve after swirling or decanting. Pour a glass, give it several minutes and smell it again. If the unpleasant aroma remains or becomes more dominant, contact us.
Not every sulfur-containing compound is undesirable. Some help create the distinctive fruit aromas of particular grape varieties, which is why reduction should not be diagnosed from one hurried sniff.
UNEXPECTED FIZZ, CLOUDINESS OR FERMENTED AROMAS
Unintended Refermentation
Residual sugar is not automatically a flaw. Many excellent wines are intentionally made with some sweetness.
A problem arises when yeast or bacteria remain active and begin an unintended fermentation after bottling. The wine may become unexpectedly fizzy, cloudy or unusually yeasty.
A slight spritz in a young wine may simply be retained carbon dioxide. If it disappears after swirling and the wine smells and tastes fresh, there may be nothing wrong. Persistent pressure, cloudiness or unpleasant aromas deserve a conversation with us.
SHIPPING AND STORAGE
When Wine Has Become Too Warm
Wine exposed to excessive heat may leak, push its cork upward or show dried wine around the capsule. In the glass it may taste flat, stewed or prematurely old, with cooked-fruit aromas and little freshness.
A warm bottle is not automatically damaged. Allow it to return slowly to an appropriate temperature before opening. If the wine then seems tired, cooked or oxidized, contact us and we will take care of it.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Give the Wine a Fair Chance
Try a Clean Glass
Detergent, cupboards, dishwashers and polishing cloths can leave aromas behind. A second clean glass can settle the question quickly.
Check the Temperature
Wine served too warm may seem alcoholic and loose. Wine served too cold may seem muted, hard or flavorless.
Give It a Little Air
Reduction may lessen after swirling or decanting. Cork taint, oxidation and heat damage will not be cured by waiting.
SATISFACTION OR REPLACEMENT
If the Wine Is Not Right, Tell Us
We drink these wines ourselves and serve them to our friends, family and club members. If a bottle is flawed, we want to know. Contact us and we will replace it at no cost.
No ceremony. No argument. A good table should never be left without a good bottle.