How to Identify Faulty Wine in Your Cellar in Orange County, California
Contents
- 1The Common Marks of Faulty Wine
- 1.11. Observe the Wine for Solids.
- 1.22. Observe for Unwanted Bubbles.
- 1.33. Smell for Corkiness.
- 1.44. Smell and Taste for Volatility.
- 1.5 5. Observe, Smell, and Taste for Signs of Oxidation.
- 1.66. Smell and Taste for Sulfur Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide.
- 2Proper Wine Storage is Necessary – Have a Wine Cellar in Orange County, CA Built
Wine is one of the best tasting beverages in the world. But it is also one of the most sensitive beverages. Wines can easily go bad, or have defective quality. In this article, learn how to spot common marks of faulty wine, so that you can identify them in your wine cellar in Orange County, California.
The Common Marks of Faulty Wine
1. Observe the Wine for Solids.
How to Identify Faulty Wine in Your Wine Collection
Solids are particles that are suspended in the wine. They can be an unsolicited earwig or spider that has fallen into the wine during the wine making process. They can also be crystalline deposits, which may float up from the bottom if the bottle is agitated. Solids can also be tartrate crystals. The presence of tartrate crystals is indicative of minimal handling by the wine maker, in order to preserve the flavor that excessive fining and filtration could potentially strip out. To remove tartrate crystals, let them settle at the bottom of the bottle and pour the wine out carefully.
Throw away wines that have a snowy or cloudy haze. This haze is either caused by metallic contamination, or a microorganism like bacteria or yeast.
2. Observe for Unwanted Bubbles.
When trapped inside the wine bottle, sugar and yeast chemically interact, and produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas creates bubbles in wine. When managed properly, this chemical interaction is responsible for the bubbles in Champagne and other bubbly wines. A few spritz of carbon dioxide are commonly added to still wine to preserve freshness, but persistent bubbles are a fault.
Wine Cellar in California with Various Wines
3. Smell for Corkiness.
The term “corkiness” is often misunderstood. A lot of people think that it refers to the crumbling closure, which allows too much air to enter the wine bottle. There are others who think that it refers to the floating fragments of a cork that was carelessly pulled out. The truth is, it has nothing to do with those things. Corkiness refers to a cork infected with trichloroanisole (TCA). TCA is formed when the chlorine (an ingredient used for bleaching during cork production) reacts with mold that has grown in the body of the wine cork. Wine that has been corked has a musty, rotten smell, and this odor worsens as the wine is exposed to the air.
4. Smell and Taste for Volatility.
It is important that wine is not exposed to air for too long. Overexposure to air can cause aerobic bacteria to infest the wine, and turn it to vinegar. It’s not even the good type of vinegar that you would use to make salad dressing with. Bacteria infested wine is sour on the nose and sharp on the palate. Moreover, another unpleasantly volatile odor is that of ethyl phenol, which resembles the smell of nail varnish or strong glue.
5. Observe, Smell, and Taste for Signs of Oxidation.
Oxidation is the contamination or chemical breakdown of wine, caused by overexposure to oxygen. Oxidation usually happens when the wine corks dry out and shrink, allowing air to enter the wine bottle. Oxidized wines lose their brightness, both in color and in flavor. Bright red wine wines turn to brick color or brown. Their fresh flavor will turn into a dry and more bitter taste.
White wines are actually more susceptible to oxidation than red wines. This is because red wines usually have higher tannin content, and tannin acts as a buffer.
To avoid the drying out of corks, make sure that your wines are stored in a residential wine cellar that has a humidity of approximately 70%. Also, have your wine racks designed in such a way that your wines are resting on their sides, with the cork in constant contact with the wine.
6. Smell and Taste for Sulfur Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide.
Sulfur Dioxide is a necessary compound during the wine making process, because it protects wine from oxidation. But too much of this chemical can make wine smell unpleasantly pungent. The odor can be irritating to the nose. Normally, proper decanting gets rid of sulfur dioxide. On the other hand, the distinctive odor of hydrogen sulfide tends to stick around, especially if wine has not been properly racked. The smell is commonly compared to the smell of rotten eggs.
Proper Wine Storage is Necessary – Have a Wine Cellar in Orange County, CA Built
Proper storage is one of the essential needs of wines, so that they can develop their flavors and aromas tastefully. It is the responsibility of a prudent wine collector to protect their wines, in order to have an effective wine storage solution built. In Orange County, California, a residential custom wine cellar is the most ideal wine storage solution..
Ideal Wine Storage Solution – Wine Cellar
Coastal Custom Wine Cellars is one of the trusted wine cellar construction companies in California. They are reputable for building wine storage solutions, both for residential and commercial purposes. Their wine cellars also come in various designs, including modern, contemporary and traditional. Coastal has consistently maintained a reputation for meeting customer satisfaction.
Coastal Custom Wine Cellars offers a free consultation for your wine cellar design. Included in this consultation are free 3D drawings of your desired wine cellar design. Their construction team is fully trained to construct ideal and effective wine storage solutions that can meet your wine storage needs.
Have your dream home custom wine cellar designed by a wine storage expert today. For more information, contact Coastal Custom Wine Cellars at +1 (888) 735-8889.