There are clear signs, maybe we should call them symptoms, that tell us when a bottle of wine is not good or when the wine inside should not be drunk or used for culinary preparations.
We usually say that three clues are proof. When there are 5, then we are sure.
1. Cork taint
When wine is uncorked and sniffed for the first time, you may not perceive the smell of wine but rather of dust, damp environments (such as a cellar), or dishcloth. It is due to a fungus called TCA (trichloroanisole), which infects the stopper cork and has probably also infected the barrels in the producer’s cellar.
If this happens to you, don’t think twice: throw away the wine and don’t even use it for cooking preparations; they would be compromised and disgusting!
2. Wine’s color
Good wine is always luminous with a clean body. If your white wine is visibly yellow/orange, or your red is opaque or brown, then it is better to change the bottle.
Indeed, there are alternatives, i.e., wines which, due to particular processes, can have “original” textures or colors; in this case, the paint wouldn’t be an anomaly.
3. Smell
We’ve already seen how the smell of cork is a bad sign, but if the wine has the aroma of cauliflower, give it a second chance and taste it before discarding it. The cause of this unusual smell is the UV rays causing what is known as a “light taste.”
4. The ullage level
Unless it has been aged for 20 or more years, a bottle with a medium shoulder (height of the wine level near the beginning of the curve of the bottle is about 1.5in below the cork) could betray some problem with the cork, which could cause oxidation and loss of freshness.
5. Wine cork appearance
If you notice that the cork is damaged once you open your bottle or very dry and cracked or even oozing, then it is very likely that the wine has been poorly stored. You can be sure of it if, during the opening, the cork crumbles when it is pierced with the corkscrew.
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