How to tell if a wine is bad

In this post, we want to talk to you about those tricks that can be used to know if a wine is bad. Although it is not usually the most common, there are occasions when we may come across a wine that is in a bad state. Although it is true that the winemaking process has improved a lot and it is rare to find this type of case, it is important to know how to detect when a wine is not in good condition. If this interests you, read on!

Keys to know if a wine is bad

Here we will tell you the keys to know if a wine is bad, which will be of great help to identify those bottles whose wine is better not to taste:

Chopped wines

Thanks to the many advances that have been implemented in winemaking, wines ares rarely vinegared used. However, if a wine has an unpleasant smell, has been in the bottle for too long, or has been opened a long time ago and has been in contact with oxygen, it is very possible that it has been vinegared.

Oxidized wine

When a wine has been oxidized, it usually has a stale or cooked smell. These wines have usually been spoiled over time, even if the wine has not been opened. Many high quality wines can oxidize if the air has found its way into the bottle, and end up spoiling the wine.

Cork that breaks

Another key to knowing if a wine is bad is the cork. When the cork breaks when you open a bottle of wine, it’s a bad sign. If the cork breaks it means that it has lost the properties that guarantee that the wine is kept in good condition. In other words, we have no guarantee that the wine has been properly preserved. You have to be careful, because sometimes you have simply chosen a bad corkscrew and it can cause the cork to break.

Smell of past fruit

On the other hand, when you open a bottle, the wine gives off a strong smell of past fruit and a rather strange taste. This is another of the most common defects that usually affect wines. It happens as a result of oxidation and is very common when the fermentation process has not been done properly.

Trichloroanisole

Nor can we forget what is known as TCA (trichloroanisole), or what is the same, the famous cork smell in the wine itself. This is a defect that can only be perceived in the nose and mouth, since at first sight it will look healthy, but its smell and aroma of cork or wet cardboard will be evident when tasting it, leaving a rather unpleasant taste on the palate.

Bubbles in the wine

When a non-sparkling wine has bubbles, something is not right. This is because a second fermentation of the wine has taken place once inside the bottle. That is, the wine has been bottled with sugar and active yeasts, which have generated more alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. This defect is perceived due to the fact that the wine presents a certain effervescence.

Now that you know the keys to knowing if a wine is bad, don’t hesitate to have them very present in order to properly identify those that are better not to be put in the mouth.