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Would you like to know how to tell if wine has turned? There are several clues that can tell you whether a wine is past its prime. Read on to learn how to tell when wine has turned.
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Wine Tasting - Old Bordeaux
Great wines can age for decades. This video presents a wine tasting held in New Zealand in the 2007 that featured vintage Bordeauxs from the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's as well as some New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignons from the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's. The bottle condition and colors of the wines are clearly illustrated.
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Introduction
Wine is created by fermentation. After the wine is bottled, the process is slowed down, but not stopped entirely. If kept forever, all wine would eventually turn to vinegar as the yeast continues to do its job. Poor storage conditions can hasten the process, leading to an occasional bottle of wine that should still be drinkable based on its vintage, but that has turned more quickly than expected and is no longer drinkable. While wine that has turned is not unhealthy or toxic to drink, it is certainly not enjoyable. -
Step 1: Appearance
Appearance of the Bottle
The storage conditions of the wine can be inferred by looking at the bottle. You should be concerned about the condition of the wine if you see:
- A damp or mildewed label
- Mildew or seepage around the cork.
- A cork that's protruding from the bottle.
- Excessive sediment
Appearance of the Wine
Wine darkens as it ages. While some great vintage red wines will have a slight hue of brown around the edges of the glass when they are at their prime, a wine that is more brown that burgundy has usually turned. There is a wide range of colors for white wines; while sauternes and meursault may be a deep golden at their prime, a pinot grigio that color will have turned. Being familiar with what color to expect will help you to assess the wine's condition.
A still wine that has become effervescent may have been exposed to air which enabled the yeast to produce carbon dioxide. Unexpected effervescence is a sign that the wine may not be good to drink.
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Step 2: Smell
If the wine smells like mold or vinegar, it has probably turned. Red wine that has developed a deep raisiny or port-like smell is also usually past its prime. -
Step 3: Taste
The surest way to tell if wine has turned is to taste it. Wine doesn't turn overnight. Wine that has lost its fruit and tastes thinner than usual may be still be drinkable, albeit past its prime. Wine that has an astringent taste, however, has turned. You can take that "turned" wine however, and convert it into vinegar, using the instructions on Mahalo's guide on How to Make Vinegar. -
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