Bottle Variation

When a case of wine leaves the producers’ facility for sale, it is hoped that every bottle within is the same. However, this is not often so. Some bottles in the case may be great, some good, some average and the odd bottle not up to snuff or even defective. Why you might ask? This is known as “bottle variation”. Perhaps some bottles were bottled on a different bottling line. Others may have been filled from different tanks or barrels or held back and bottled at a different time. Some may have been stored at a different location at the winery. All of these variables can account for why not very bottle in a case, when it comes together, is exactly the same quality. Generally, there is usually less bottle variation with better producers.

Cork Taint

One of the most common wine defects today is “Cork Taint”, technically known as “TCA” or trichloroanisole. A wine that is “corky” from an infected cork smells musty like a damp, dank basement and is the main reason many producers have gone to polymer versions and screw caps. Although cork producers have invested millions of dollars to clean up the cork-producing process with great results, corks, because they are porous, are still prone to absorbing smells and bacteria from extraneous sources long after their production. Storage facilities and shipping containers can easily impart strange aromatics to otherwise healthy corks. Even open bags of unused corks sitting at a winery can pick up “off” smells from its surroundings.

Wine Defects

Most wine that is “bad” is usually defective in some way. Problems can originate from the winery in its production or cellar management, other times from sources beyond the winemakers control or from mishandling after sale. Wine defects actually fall into two categories: flaws and faults. A flaw is something in a wine that makes the wine atypical, a slight variance in character from the norm. In this case, any minor flaw might be considered “complexity” and the wine still enjoyable. A fault, on the other hand, is a major departure from the norm that spoils the wine and renders it undrinkable. A flaw that is extreme could easily fall into this category. Most defects, regardless of intensity, show up on the nose rather than the palate.

Alcohol in Wine

Alcohol in wine is a given as it’s a bi-product of fermentation. It provides backbone and weight to a wine’s structure. Today’s selections tend to be much more alcoholic than in the past. Regardless of the reason why, alcohol in wine is basically experienced in two ways. If higher, it can be perceived on the nose giving a sharp pinch on the nostrils. However, it is most commonly experienced on the palate as a warm or hot feeling while the wine is in the mouth and a hot, sometimes burning sensation in the finish. Regardless of what the alcoholic strength of a wine is, it must be harmonious with all the other components or it will stand out somehow and render the wine sharp, hot and unpleasant. 

Cooking Wine

Many folks like to cook with wine as it adds flavour and complexity to a dish making the taste more interesting. A word of advice though! Avoid buying those items in supermarkets labeled “cooking wine”. I don’t think they’re even made from grapes and possibly possess lots of chemicals to preserve them. Always use the real thing. It doesn’t have to be great quality or expensive. A simple, inexpensive wine will do. Just make sure it’s healthy. A major rule of thumb for cooking wine should be if you don’t like the wine, it’s dirty or defective straight up, please do not use it in cooking. Nothing will ruin the dish faster. I’ve seen many a great dish spoiled by adding wine that was horrible, tasted lousy or was “off”.