Look out for some pretty grim aromatic adjectives including dank, mouldy, and wet (like a musty basement or a sodden dog). also known as TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole) The least amount of varying temperatures, the better.Īs to whether you drink it? Again, it won’t cause any harm, but it comes down to how cooked it is, and what your palate can tolerate. Anywhere dark, cool and dry is preferred, but a big part of this comes down to temperature fluctuation. Always store your wine out of direct sunlight, and away from appliances like fridges, the oven, or the stove top. There aren’t any certain varieties or styles of wine that are more or less susceptible to being “cooked”, but there are ways to avoid it happening in your own home (other than investing in a proper cellar or wine cabinet). If heat has expanded the air inside the bottle, you may also see some visual cues, like the screw cap is popped up or the cork is partially dislodged. Heat exposure or variation can happen anywhere, from sitting in a hot truck during transit, to sitting near your stove at home. You might find jammy or stewed characters in reds, and brown discolouration or nuttiness in whites.Ĭooked wine, also referred to as maderised (from the method by which Madeira is made), is the result of excessive heat exposure or ongoing temperature variation. Look out for wine that tastes like it was exclusively made with dried fruits. The cool temperature will slow the effects of oxidation, which may give you an extra day but not much more. One small tip to extend the life of a wine you’ve opened but don’t want to finish? Seal it as tightly as possible and store it in your fridge. But just as your cut apple will discolour if left out, oxidised wines will turn from deep orange to red-brown, and sadly it can’t be saved or reinvigorated so has to go down the sink.
It’s the key factor in why decanting is effective ( you can read more about that here). Oxygen is a vital part of the winemaking process as it helps with complexity and character.
Wines can be excessively oxidised during the winemaking process too, and sometimes show oxidation from the moment you open the bottle. Oxidation occurs due to bacteria in the wine, which turns the sugar and alcohol into acetic acid when overexposed to air. It’s happened to the best of us: you want a glass of wine on Monday, then it sits on the bench until Friday – and now it smells and tastes sour or flat.
Look out for an orange or red-brown colour, with vinegar and sour notes in white wines or lack of aroma and flavour in red wines.
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