Wine Drinking Guide
Wine Drinking Guide
Wine Drinking Guide
3 steps to help you determine if red wine has gone bad: quickly assess the quality of red wine from visual, olfactory, to gustatory cues.
3 steps to help you determine if red wine has gone bad: quickly assess the quality of red wine from visual, olfactory, to gustatory cues.
3 steps to help you determine if red wine has gone bad: quickly assess the quality of red wine from visual, olfactory, to gustatory cues.
Wine is a subtle beverage, and when it is improperly stored or contaminated, its flavor and quality may be significantly compromised. For those who wish to delve deeply into the world of wine tasting, discerning whether a red wine has gone bad is one of the fundamental skills. The following details how to judge whether red wine has spoiled from three aspects: visual, olfactory, and gustatory, as well as how to avoid these issues.
Visual Inspection: Observe color and condition
Color Changes:
Red Wine: A normal red wine should display a vibrant purple-red or garnet color. If the color becomes dull, with brown or brick-red hues, it may be a sign of oxidation or excessive aging.
White Wine: White wine tends to turn a deep yellow or brown over time, which is usually a sign of oxidation.
Clarity:
Healthy wine should be clear and bright. If it appears cloudy, has excessive sediment, or contains unusual impurities, it may indicate microbial contamination or secondary fermentation.
Sparkling Wine:
If a non-sparkling red wine has fine bubbles, it may indicate secondary fermentation in the bottle, often due to improper storage.
Cork Condition:
If the cork is protruding or loose, it may be due to the expansion of the wine from heat, allowing oxygen to enter the bottle and hastening spoilage.
Olfactory Inspection: Identify abnormal odors
Oxidized Odor:
Bad wine often emits odors resembling vinegar, caramelized apples, or nuts. This is because sugars and alcohol convert to acetic acid after excessive oxygen exposure.
Cork Taint:
Due to TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) contamination in the cork, the wine may smell like wet cardboard, mold, or a damp basement.
Sulfur Odors:
If you detect odors of rotten eggs, burnt rubber, or matches, it may be caused by excessive sulfur compounds (such as hydrogen sulfide).
Other Off-Odors:
If you smell rotten fruit, wet dog hair, or unpleasant farm odors (Brettanomyces contamination), it indicates the wine has been contaminated.
Gustatory Inspection: Confirm taste abnormalities
Acidity:
Bad red wine typically has a sharp acidity, similar to vinegar, and may cause a stinging sensation in the nostrils.
Abnormal Sweetness:
If a non-sweet red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) tastes overly sweet, it may be due to sugar conversion after being heated.
Flat Taste:
A wine that has lost its fruit aroma and complexity, tasting flat or even bitter, is the result of oxidation or excessive aging.
Secondary Fermentation Taste:
If a non-sparkling wine has a slight effervescence and a tart, tingling sensation, it may have undergone secondary fermentation.
