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You order a bottle of wine at a restaurant. The sommelier opens it, presents you with the cork, pours a bit of wine in your glass, and then waits for your reaction. Sommelier Jordan Salcito explains how to use this tableside ritual to tell if the wine you ordered is good, or if it’s gone bad in the bottle.
Many studies have shown the positive effects of drinking one to two glasses of wine a day. These effects include sharper memory, healthy weight, protection from stomach and ovarian cancers, stronger bones and a lower risk of diabetes. Not to mention the list of antioxidants many red wines have. However, wine is still an alcohol and excessively drinking wine, like any other alcoholic beverage, has negative consequences.
From late-harvest wine such as a Sauternes to fortified varieties such as a port or sherry, dessert wine comes in various flavors, levels of sweetness and alcohol content. To get the most out of your dessert wine experience, store wines carefully to preserve the flavor and integrity of the drink. Keep opened and unopened wine at its best by keeping it at the right temperature. Serve with sharp cheeses, rich cakes or delicate cookies.
A glass of wine is refreshing with a nice meal; however, what do you do once you've uncorked that bottle? Wine doesn't immediately go bad in the fridge, but once you've popped the cork, oxidation hits the wine and softens the flavors and aroma. Oxidation is when oxygen interacts with substance molecules in the wine, changing the flavors and chemical makeup from its original compound. Eventually, all good wine will go bad, but time is on your side.
Sometimes, a wine doesn't suit your tastes and sometimes it is just a bad bottle. A common problem, especially when ordering at a restaurant, is oxidation. Wine does "turn" when left open, due to the chemical interaction between oxygen and phenols in the wine.
Wine is a complex, ever evolving beverage. If not treated with care, it can spoil very easily. There are a couple very simple things to do in order to keep your wine safe from spoilage.
How to tell if a bottle of wine has gone bad; learn more about wine in this free instructional video.
Before drinking any wine, it is wise to check the wine for signs that it has gone bad. Bad wine is not defined as wine that simply doesn't taste good; rather, it is wine that has had chemical changes take place that actually make the wine not good to drink. Follow these steps to help you know when wine has gone bad.
