Wine flaws, how to detect them and what to do then

I first wrote this article and The Press published it nearly two years ago. Wine flaws though are one of those things that many of us as wine consumers experience, and without recognizing them as flaws many just think it is bad wine. Especially at the holidays when at large gatherings, there are so many wines to try that friends and family contribute it is always valuable to identify flaws versus wines that are not to our taste, so here is the original article republished.

Why is it that sometimes your favorite bottle of wine just does not measure up? The thoughts you have range from, "I wonder if the winery has changed hands?" to "Maybe the winemaker has lost it." to "Was 2007 a bad vintage in California?" The truth is it may just be one of the many flaws that can happen in the winemaking process that ought not to reflect on the winery, winemaker, vintage or any of the controllable factors. Here are a few of the common flaws.

A "corked" bottle occurs in about 5-10 percent of all bottlings that are sealed with natural cork, and is one of the major driving forces behind the movement to screw cap and other synthetic closures. The flaw comes from the presence of TCA or trichloroanisole in the cork. The flaw is detectable both in the aromatics of the wine, thus the need to smell the wine before a full glass is poured, and on the palate, and can vary in intensity. The aroma is very distinctive and will smell like wet newspaper or wet cardboard. While unpleasant the impact on the flavor of the wine is far worse. The TCA will strip the fruit off the wine leaving you tasting nothing but the flaw and alcohol. While tainted corks are the most common cause, the taint can also come from oak barrels; unfortunately there is no effective screening method to detect TCA. Finally, corkiness will never go away once it is present. The wine is ruined, you will also find it becomes more detectable the longer the wine is opened.

VA or volatile acidity happens less frequently but is no less off putting. While VA can come from a variety of sources it is the result of acetic acid bacteria being exposed to excessive oxygen in the winemaking process, enabling the bacteria to flourish. Once it develops in the wine it will not go away with age and cannot be eliminated. You will detect VA by the very strong nail polish remover aromatic. While the bacteria can be eliminated by strict topping off of barrels during winemaking or the introduction of sulfur dioxide during winemaking, it does at times just occur naturally outside the control of the winemaker.

Bottle variation is a common flaw caused by insufficient blending of different barrels or racking during the winemaking process. As wine ages in the barrels winemakers will typically pump the wine out of all of the barrels into a large stainless steel tank, and then from there back into the barrels. This exercise produces a consistent wine even though individual "batches" may taste quite different. This undertaking is always performed prior to bottling.

"Brettyness," is actually a flaw that comes from stray yeast on the surface of the grapes called Brettanomyces. And while some is desirable in certain varietals, an over abundance can cause an objectionable aroma of bread or yeast or an excessive earthiness. Again nothing to be done about it, as it will not go away with time and may become even more intense.

Here is the good news for all of you as wine consumers and for all wine professionals. Wineries and distributors will stand behind their product and refund retailers or restaurants for these flaws. As a consumer therefore always return a bottle that you find to be flawed with these or any other problems. Most wine professionals when you bring it to their attention will be able to detect the same problem you have found just by smelling the wine, and trust me we would always rather replace the bottle than leave a customer with the impression that they no longer like a wine they have enjoyed in the past.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party - a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and writes frequently for the online version of Coeur d'Alene Magazine at www.cdamagazine.com. His articles can also be found on the blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.