How to tell if a wine is chopped: keys to recognize defects in aroma and flavor

The most trained drinkers will say that they can tell immediately.

As soon as they see it or smell it when uncorking it and serving it in the glass, they detect it.

In others, suspicion sets in.

, vinegary or oxidized and what is the difference between this type of "defects" that can be found in the drink?

Marcela Rienzo, president of the Argentine Association of Sommeliers (AAS) maintains that it

.

However, in her book

, she provides some guidelines to consider as indicators that something isn't quite right.

“Occasionally, you may find a bottle that doesn't smell right or the wine doesn't taste good.

You can pass.

or there is something that bothers your tongue,

, ”she explains.

How to recognize a wine in poor condition: chopped or vinegary, oxidized or with brett

The bad aroma is the main indicator of the bad state of the wine.

Photo: Martin Bonetto.

First of all, warns Rienzo, it should be noted that this situation is less and less frequent, since in Argentina "almost all wines today are very well made".

Cork or corking:

 Wine with this defect has the smell of wet cardboard, a dirty floor cloth or a damp cupboard.

This is due to chlorine or bromine contamination in the cork, therefore, it appears only in bottles that are covered with natural cork.

The responsible molecules are called TCA or TBA and are the terror of winemakers and winemakers.

Vinegar:

 In wine there is naturally acidity, and it is very important that it be so.

Acidity is a fundamental part of wine.

But when a bacterium called ascetic (the same with which vinegar or ascetic acid is made) thrives and crosses the line, the wine becomes acidic and appears "vinegary".

Be careful, there are many wines that have high acidity, which can bother those who are not used to it.

But vinegary wine is ugly, unpleasant, it is not in accordance with the other flavors.

Oxidized:

As you can deduce, this is a wine that has been exposed to its number one enemy: oxygen.

Sometimes the cork failed, sometimes there was a problem in the elaboration.

This wine will feel "tired", with no fruit aroma, and is generally brownish, like tile or brick.

Brett:

This is a partial flaw, because many drinkers might like it when it's present in very small amounts.

The brett is a contamination of the tanks where the wine is made with a type of yeast, the Brettanomyces (which are not the ones used to ferment must) of the containers where wines are made.

Unpleasant aromas of barnyard or horse sweat are perceived.

Finally, concludes Rienzo, "

, so trust your nose and your instincts to define whether a wine is healthy or not."

The sommelier Marcela Rienzo and her book "Chin Chin, wine is easy".

If I drank a chilled wine: can it hurt me?

In case any reader has ever taken a wine of these characteristics with concern, the sommelier clarifies that

, that is,

.

It only makes the experience of tasting it not so pleasant.

As for what to do if we find a wine in these conditions, it depends on the context in which we do it.

, Rienzo recommends consulting the waiter or sommelier, since

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