"Dear Aunt Chard, my red wine smells faintly of sherry but I'm sure it's not supposed to, what does this mean?"
Firstly, are you sure you’re not in fact drinking Sherry and surrounded by old people? If the answer is no, you may have an oxidized wine my friend. If you have had the wine open previously, for instance, if this is yesterday's bottle (which makes me dislike you as a person), then perhaps, the wine is oxidized.
You can check for an oxidized wine by looking at the colour of the wine; Red wines will be dull brown in colour, and White wines will turn a tawny or brown colour. The nose will also be a giveaway, offering you a smell similar to Sherry.
Wine and Oxygen have a love/hate relationship. Too little, and the wine doesn't ferment (fortified wines need a lot more oxygen than dry wines) and too much, well, you've got a disaster on your hands - anything that involves wasted wine is pretty much catastrophic in my book.
For a more scientific explanation:
- What it is: Contamination/chemical breakdown caused by too much oxygen exposure. Rusted metal is oxidized…it’s that same process but in your wine. Oxidization is the most common wine fault and is easy to replicate at home with any bottle of wine.
- Can I fix it? No. If your bottle is oxidized right off the shelf, it was either poorly sealed or mishandled. Take it back!
So, how long can you keep a wine open for?If you must abstain from finishing a bottle in one sitting, then make sure you prolong your wine with the correct apparatus. Seal the top of your bottle with a nifty stopper from here. Or, if the unexpected does happen and you end up with a 3-day-old bottle of wine, you can always cook with it.
What happens if I order a bottle in a restaurant and there is a flaw?
A restaurant where there is a dedicated Sommelier should never serve a faulty wine, as it is part of their duty to test it for their guests. However, if you're not in the presence of a Somm, don't be afraid to send the wine back. Obviously, don't gulp down two glasses and then decided you don't like it.
A note to wineries:
Many a time I have visited a winery and have been given an oxidized wine; the wine had been open 2 days prior and the tasting room assistant hadn't checked before pouring. It's vital that checks are made and that staff know what to look out for.
If you had never come across oxidized wine before, you might just believe that all this estate's wine tasted bland/bitter/funky- minus Earth, Wine & Fire/etc. Education is seriously important, not just for consumers, but for staff too.
For more potential wine flaws, click here