Cork wine and other wine defects

The most common disadvantage of the wine that is heard the most is, that the wine is cork. We can smell it while smelling the freshly opened wine (this disadvantage can even be felt by smelling the wine corks), then we sense musty, bitter smell, leafy smell, the smell of mold. This is a typical wine defect, which is caused by the cork, more specifically, a certain species of mold fungi, which can nest inside the cork, as it has not been damaged during cork disinfection in the production process. The mold fungus in question is abundant in forests of cork oaks, from which it can be transferred to individual plugs during production.
Cork mold fungus, it is not the only fungus or bacteria, which can infect the cork. Wine corks stored improperly in the supply chain (from producer, through sometimes a few intermediaries to the winemaker), it can become infected with any bacterium, which will adversely affect our wine.

The other most common wine defects are:

– lactic acid - it is formed on wines that are not fully fermented, detained under unfavorable conditions (in dirty and too warm rooms), in wines that have been kept over the yeast sediment for too long, in wines with too little acidity and the amount of tannins. In the wine, we can then feel the bitter and sour smells of powdered milk, kefiru, sometimes even sauerkraut. Procedure: if we observe such a defect, we can try after a few (3-4) pouring from the sediment wine to always clean, a new fermenter, try to clarify the wine using activated carbon, sulfate with pyrosulfate in the amount of 1-2 g / 1L of wine and additionally acidify with citric acid in the amount of about 1g / 1L of wine.

– sulfur notes - very bad wine defect, manifested by a distinct smell of rotten eggs, sulfur on matches. It is most often formed as a result of excessive and incompetent sulfurization of wine. This defect may arise from fermentation. Some breeds of yeast can also react with sulphites in poor-quality water and produce similar levels in the wine., bad smelling compounds. The defect is most often found in white wines, because they are more sulfurized than red wines. CAUTION: we have to remember, that potassium metabisulfite, used to stabilize wines, used in too high doses is harmful to our body, therefore we should avoid wines contaminated with hydrogen sulphide.

– barrel note - a defect arising when wine is stored in poorly protected barrels. When the barrels of one wine are left empty waiting to be refilled and will not be properly cleaned, bacteria and mold accumulate in the gaps between the staves and spoil the wine. The wine becomes rotten, earthy and unpleasant smell, which cannot be deleted .
– fresh wood, the smell of wood paneling - this is a disadvantage of wine kept for too long in a fresh and too small barrel. This defect may also arise when using excessively large doses of oak flakes. The wine takes on a sawdust aroma, fresh wood from the sawmill, the paneling. Procedure: you can try to save the wine by pouring the wine repeatedly to ventilate it, or they can be left to blend with other wines.

– wine tasting - one of the most common wine diseases, is caused by contamination of wine with acetic bacteria that transform wine into acetic acid. This disease most often affects young and weak wines, low alcohol content, kept at too high a temperature and wines with too much air access, e.g.: tightly closed with a stopper. The wine has a highly irritating smell and taste, generally unfit for consumption. The anchor can be that strong, that even after distilling the wine, the distillate will have a vinegar taste and smell.

Generally, most wines can be saved,

various means can be tried, which will improve the taste of the wine and make it better.

You can save a weak, bad wine by blending it with a new wine.

But we have to ask ourselves one question:

Is it worth it?

After all, we make wine for that, that we like it,

that it is as natural and ecological as possible,

and not full of preservatives and improvers.