The Fault in our Wines
by Tim Powers
We’ve all been there. You’re at a nice restaurant, you order a bottle of wine, the somm pours you a small portion, and hands the glass over expectantly. You can feel the entire table turn to stare at you, waiting to hear the verdict: Is the wine good? But what exactly are you looking for? Despite the wording, you are not analyzing the tastiness of the wine, nor its inherent goodness in moral standing. You are checking to see if the wine has a flaw.
Wine flaws, otherwise described as faults, vary wildly. From funky barnyard to stinky damp cardboard, even soiled rodent cage or nail polish, wine faults often make themselves known as soon as you put your nose to the glass. The global fault rate hovers at just over 3%, so, if you love wine, odds are you will encounter more than a few faulty bottles.
Faults can develop at many different stages in a wine’s journey from grape to glass. Whether it’s during harvest, pressing, fermentation, maturation, bottling, shipping, or storage, the delicate and perishable nature of wine is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Let’s take a look at some of the more common faults, why they happen, and, most importantly, how you can spot them.
Cork Taint - Also referred to as a ‘Corked Wine’, or affected by ‘TCA’ (Trichloroanisole), this flaw is most often initiated by a tainted cork. The chemical compound responsible is made when fungus on a cork is exposed to a specific antimicrobial agent during the processing of cork oak. This compound is extremely potent, and is detectable in the parts per trillion range, meaning that even a minuscule amount can ruin a full bottle of wine. This fault, while not toxic, will render a bottle simply unpleasant, with such fragrant aroma notes of wet dog, wet cardboard, and damp basement.
Sulfur - Winemakers will often choose to add sulfites in order to stabilize a wine as it inhibits yeast fermentation without adding adverse flavors or negative health effects. However, if a wine struggles during fermentation it will produce the compound Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). The production of Hydrogen Sulfide is a sign of a faulty fermentation and, if present, the resulting wine will smell and taste of rotten eggs, burnt rubber, or skunk.
Mousiness - Mousiness, though not as common as the above, occurs if a wine has too high of a pH level, making it hospitable for lactobacillus and other nefarious microbes that otherwise would not have survived. Interestingly, this fault can only be tasted, not smelled, and its intensity depends on the level of sensitivity in the taster. This fault results in a lingering flavor of stinky rodent cage and toasted oat after swallowing or spitting and tends to grow stronger as the finish progresses.
Sometimes traits that are deemed as faults in some wines are sought after and even desirable in others. Below are a few examples, so make sure that your wine isn’t supposed to have these flavors before returning (or dumping) the bottle!
Oxidation - This fault is a bit more complex, as some winemaking styles rely on either oxidation or micro-oxidation in their creation. For example, both Amontillado Sherry and Vin Jaune are known as oxidative wines, and winemakers will purposefully allow them to oxidize in order to enhance their flavor and add complexity. However, whether intentional or not, wines that are oxidized will experience a change in color; red wines will lose pigment and develop an orange and brown hue, while white wines will darken and turn golden brown. Furthermore, when purposeful, and successful, oxidized wines will gain nutty, dried fruit, caramel, and earthy notes; when not purposeful it will decrease a wine’s aroma and flavor, making it taste flat and lifeless.
Brettanomyces - Brettanomyces, also known as ‘Brett’ or ‘Volatile Phenols’ is a group of flavor compounds known as phenols that will either greatly benefit or hinder a wine. They are often found in some Old World red blends, adding complexity to the wine and are described as tasting of clove, smokey bacon, and barnyard. In too large of a concentration, or in an undesired style of wine, they add such fine flavors as plastic swimming pool and band aids, meaning that you will most likely have to dump the bottle.
Volatile Acidity - Has your wine ever turned to vinegar? This fault occurs if there is an imbalance in a wine's acidity. Although all wines contain acid, and many styles are prized for their ripping high acidity, if the acetobacter bacteria has started to multiply in your wine, you might end up having to dump your bottle. Technically acetobacter bacteria can be responsible for two faults in wine. The first is when acetobacter combines with oxygen to create excessive acetic acid (vinegar), and the second occurs as the acetobacter bacteria combines with the ethanol in wine to create an excessive amount of ethyl acetate. Both of these faults create unpleasant aromas, with the first leading to a vinegar dominant aroma, and then second resulting in a strong aroma of nail polish remover.
Cooked Wine - This fault occurs when a wine is improperly stored or transported, allowing it to get too hot. If a wine is stored at 80°F or above, it will literally cook, breaking down the sensitive phenols, and pushing the cork slightly out of the bottle as the pressure increases. Seen as a positive, and in fact a crucial part of the process for Madeira wines from Portugal, this fault will change the color of a wine to a ruddy brown, and will present aromas and flavors of stewed, cooked, and even burnt fruit.