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How to tell if wine has gone bad?

There’s nothing worse than opening a bottle of wine and smelling vinegar or some other unpleasant smell. This is usually because the wine is contaminated and has gone bad.
So, how do you tell if a bottle of wine is drinkable?

Musty: This indicates that the wine is cork-tainted and may be moldy. There is no harm in drinking this wine, but it must be an unpleasant experience.
Vinegar: This is caused by oxidation. Under the action of oxygen, wine will eventually turn into vinegar.
(nail polish remover smell) and sulfur (rotten egg smell), these smells are produced during the brewing process and are usually a sign of poor brewing process.
Brown red wines and brownish white wines: This is the result of the wine being exposed to air. Red wines can also have a light brown color, but new production red wines should not have this color.
The cork is protruding or the wine is seeping from the cork: This is usually because the wine has been stored in excessive heat or the wine has frozen.
Small air bubbles in still wines indicate that the wine has undergone secondary fermentation in the bottle after bottling.
Cloudy wine: If this is not an unfiltered wine, it may have undergone secondary fermentation in the bottle after bottling. This condition is not harmful to health.
The smell of matches is the smell of sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is added during bottling to keep the wine fresh. If you can still smell it after opening the bottle, it’s a sign that too much was added. After opening the bottle, the smell fades away slowly.
White crystals that appear on the cork or on the bottom of the bottle in white wine: These crystals are tartaric acid, which is not harmful to health and does not affect the taste of the wine.
Sediment in old wine: This occurs naturally and can be removed by opening the bottle or placing it in a shaker for a while.
Broken cork floating in wine: Usually because of an over-dried cork that broke when the bottle was opened. It is harmless to health.

How to tell if wine has gone bad


Post time: Dec-19-2022