Wine Problems

For many people, a glass of fine wine is the perfect indulgence after a long day at the office. However, for those whose work is wine, wine is more than a way to unwind. It takes years, even decades, to perfect the winemaking process. Wine makers concentrate on flavors, acids, grapes, bottling and much more. And wine makers run into problems in all of these areas along the way. Fortunately, it's easy to recognize and fix wine problems, by learning a bit of information about their causes.

Wine Cork Problems

A common cause of many tainted wine problems is the cork. Because cork is an organic, porous material, it is vulnerable to fungus infections. When this occurs, it is called cork taint.

 

Another common problem caused by the cork is oxidation. Wine oxidation problems occur as the cork shrinks. As the cork becomes smaller, air enters the bottle and oxidizes the wine.

 

There are a few ways to fix wine problems caused by corks. To eliminate any fungus infections, try boiling the corkwood in hot water. Another option is to avoid the use of natural corks all together. Many wine makers are now choosing synthetic corks or screw caps for their bottles.

Wine Making Problems

A tricky step in the wine making process is fermentation. During fermentation, yeast is used to convert sugar into alcohol. If fermentation will not begin, the source of the problem is either the must or the yeast. Most wine makers find the must as the source, although yeast that has been exposed to extreme heat will not work.

 

Another common fermentation problem is stuck fermentation, which starts and stops fermenting prematurely. Stuck fermentation can occur because the must needs more nutrients or acid, or if the must has been exposed to extreme changes in temperature.

Wine Problems

Some winemakers will encounter problems with the color of their wine. A hue of white, purple or brown indicates the presence of aluminum, copper, iron or zinc. If there is an abundance of copper or iron, try adding a little citric acid. For aluminum and zinc, fine the wine with some egg shell.

 

If the wine has a strong, pungent odor similar to the smell of nail polish remover, it might be contaminated with ethyl acetate. A small aquarium pump through an air stone helps to rid the wine of the ethyl acetate.

 

The most important aspect of wine, of course, is the taste. One of the most common wine problems in regards to taste is the sweetness of the wine. This is caused by too much sugar in the wine. In following a recipe, some wine makers forget to convert the units. Many recipes recommend adding sugar in stages, as opposed to mixing it in all at once.

 

To fix an overly sweet wine, there are two options. You can re-do the fermentation and convert all of the extra sugar into alcohol. Or, another option is blending the too sweet wine with an extremely dry wine.

 

Beginner wine makers also note a flat taste in their wines. This is caused by not having enough acid in the wine.

 

Resources

 

Home Winemaking Staff. (n.d.) Problems, faults and remedies. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from the Home Winemaking Staff Web site: http://www.home-winemaking.com/winemaking-3c.html.

 

The Winemaking Home Page Staff. (2009) Wine problems. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from The Winemaking Home Page: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/problems.asp