It is of course incredibly disheartening to select a wine that proves ultimately faulty or less than perfect in some way; however, there are ways to avoid this.
- Cork: When you purchase a bottle of wine, make sure that the cork is neither below the bottle lip nor protruding far above it. Additionally, the level of wine should be well into the neck of the bottle. Anything below the neck of the bottle could be an indication of some kind of leakage.
- Colour: The wine colour presented in the bottle should (generally) match that of the grape from which it was made. Wines that have a brown tint to them could be oxidized, meaning they have been exposed to too much oxygen in the air. These wines will possess both a foul smell and off taste.
- Clarity: Wine should be bright and clear. Any sign of cloudiness is a good indication that there is bacterial spoilage.
- Aroma: These smells are a good indication of potential damage to a wine:
- Sherry smell
- Vinegary smell
- Rotten eggs, garlic, onion
Mould, musty, or dampness
If your wine smells anything like one of these, then it is a safe assumption that the wine has been compromised and it should not be consumed.
- Taste: A wine that has any of the following tastes more than likely has a flaw:
- Bitter
- Sour
- Cooked caramel
- Oxidized and musty
- Sulfurous
Heavy deposits
Before purchasing any bottle of wine, take your time to check for some of the signs of trouble. If you purchase a bottle, take it home and find a problem, don’t hesitate to take it back to the vendor where you might ask for an exchange or refund, caveat emptor notwithstanding.
Tags: Fine wine investment