Bad Wine

WHAT IS A “BAD WINE”.
RELY ON YOUR TASTE – BE ADVENTUROUS
AND KEEP TRYING.
THERE IS A WINE OUT THERE FOR ALL TASTES.

It is sometimes heard that people say they had a "bad" wine. “Bad wine” is a description which is
very easy to use.

Sometimes it is a description given to a wine which is perhaps not what the drinker expected, or is a
wine which doesn’t suit the atmosphere, circumstances or food of the moment. These wines are
also referred to as "bad".

Or maybe it is a wine which hasn’t been stored well, or looked after in transport, or indeed which
has deteriorated in the bottle.

"Bad" wine, to many drinkers, simply refers to a wine that has a taste they don't enjoy. And in the
course of normal experiments with whites and reds, dry wines and sweet ones, everyone is going
to find some wines that don't appeal to them.

In our section “Wine for Asian Food” we have attempted to explain the intricacies of selecting
wines to suit most dishes and occasions. Some wines you may find inadequate for the occasion,
but generally if you are prepared to experiment and be adventurous, there is always a wine that
suits your taste. On the way to finding the ideal wine, you will invariably find a wine that is
unsuitable.

Thankfully not everybody’s tastes are the same, and there is no accounting for taste – taste is
subjective and only in the eye of the beholder.

"Bad" wine can also refer to wines that have deteriorated in quality due to one, or a combination, of
problems.

The production of wine and the bottling process is not a perfect science, and wine experts estimate
that two to three percent of bottles will go bad no matter how careful the wine makers are in the
production cycle.

The term "corked wine" is sometimes used and refers to a wine that has spoiled. It actually defines
a particular problem and can be identified if the wine produces a moldy, chemical smell and taste.
Normally corks are bleached in a strong chlorine solution before they are washed and dried.
Sometimes that treatment can produce a chemical compound called trichloranisole, or TCA, and
this causes the bad taste and smell. Molds can also grow on corks and can be at the root of the
problem. Additionally, corks sometimes pick up bad flavors that migrate from other surfaces in the
bottling or shipping process, and that too may cause the "corked" properties of bad wine.

Corks that don't form a tight seal sometimes allow outside air to reach the wine, leaving the product
"oxidized." A careful wine drinker can usually spot the problem from the smell or from the clarity of
the wine before it is drunk. Oxidized wine sometimes has a smell reminiscent of sherry or madeira,
or sometimes a vinegar smell can be detected. If the wine is oxidized to an extreme level, a sulphur
smell can permeate from it. A visible trait of oxidized wine is its darker-than-normal color.

Generally, if you are in a restaurant, wines are presented to you with the bottle closed. If the label
description matches the wine you have selected from the menu, this is the first step in accepting
the wine.
The next phases depend upon your sense of smell, sight and taste. The bottle is opened in your
presence, or near your table, and a third of a normal measure poured into your glass for testing.
The stemmed glass is held by the stem and the color studied. Try to have a shining light, or a
white, light object (table cloth) beyond the glass. This will allow you to see the coloring better.

A red and white wine should generally not contain a brown color, or have a brown tinge. This
generally signifies that the wine is slightly beyond its best consumption date. If the red wine is
clear red, crimson or violet, then this is a good sign. A white wine should be a clear yellow or straw
color, sometimes with a slight tinge of green. In both cases, if glints of light emanate from the
color, then so far so good.

The next sense used is one of smell. You are trying to smell cleanness. An aroma of fruits, grapes,
flowers, sometimes of oak (from the barrels), and often in combination with each other - all good,
with the underlying sense that there is nothing old, moldy or chemical in the smell.

Now sample the wine, often better done after a drop of water, and on a clear palate. The same
principle applies – chemical or moldy tastes are not good, but at this stage if you haven’t
commented anything to the waiter about the color or smell before tasting, then this last step is very
subjective. If you think the wine is really bad, then invite the waiter to sample it with you. A good
waiter will change the bottle without question. At this stage you have to hope that the wine really
was bad, and not one which has not met your expectations or levels of taste. It could be that the
second bottle is the same.

Not to worry – be adventurous, try something different. Ask the waiter for a recommendation.

And if you are not at a restaurant, but at home, then let us advise you on which wines may suit your
taste. Our section “Wines for Asian Food” gives basic guidelines and is a good place to start. If
you have been there and still don’t like what you have been drinking then contact us. We will
always try to help and advise.