How to Identify a Faulty Wine

Also, catch my podcast episodes on Sardinian wine. Learn a bit about vermouth in here, too.

This week’s newsletter is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I’ve been travelling in southern California where I grew up this week, so I missed the regularly scheduled Sunday programming. Hence the Thursday visit to your inbox. But that’s ok because I feel it’s important to be present and enjoy life in moments like this. You might have noticed, but in case you didn’t I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to release my two series, The Revival List and Drink This Not That, biweekly rather than weekly. It’s a bit more manageable for me to release them every other week with everything I have going on. Let me know if you’ve enjoyed them so far and if you’ve had a chance to try any of the wines in the comments below.

Learn About Sardinian Wine with Me on the Cork & Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast

I’m thrilled to share that Hailey from Cork & Fizz invited me onto her podcast to talk all things Sardinian wine, the lifestyle living on this gorgeous Mediterranean island, what it’s been like planting our vineyards and starting a winery, and what I’m up to on Sip with Nik. We had such a lovely chat that she broke it into two episodes!

In the first episode, I share my journey from wine marketing to planting vineyards in Sardinia, the challenges of planting our vineyards/starting a winery (hello, unpredictable weather and tricky regulations!), and what makes this island’s wines—like Cannonau and Vermentino—so special. Plus, we dive into Sardinia’s unique Blue Zone lifestyle and how it shapes the local wine scene.

If you love discovering new wines, dreaming of vineyard life, or just enjoy a great story, this episode is for you!

In the second episode, we’re diving even deeper into Sardinia’s incredible wines—especially the rare gems like Semidano, Nuragus, and the wines of Mandrolisai that are barely known outside the island.

I share how my love for these unique varieties led me to planting vineyards with my husband and how I’m working to bring these hidden treasures to a larger audience through my Substack and (soon hopefully!) a wine import business. We also chat about my passion for sustainability, biodynamic farming, and regenerative organic agriculture in winemaking.

If you're excited to explore the world of lesser-known wines and discover the stories behind them, this episode is for you!

Wine Faults: How to Tell If a Wine is Bad

Have you ever wondered why smelling wine is such an important step in wine tasting? The reason is twofold. First, much of the pleasure we get from wine is derived from our sense of smell. We use our retronasal olfaction when tasting wine, which occurs when wine blends with our saliva, creating flavor from smell molecules traveling through our nasal passageways. Secondly, smelling wine provides an opportunity to detect any wine faults which may be present.

In a restaurant setting, this is why the server or sommelier first pours just a taste of wine in your glass, allowing you to ensure the wine’s quality. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common wine faults you’re likely to encounter. If you’re unsure how to tell if a wine is bad, look out for these warning signs.

TCA: 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole – a.k.a. Cork Taint

TCA is a chemical compound which usually finds its way into wine via the cork. Consequently, this common wine fault is known as cork taint. When there’s TCA present in the wine, the bottle is often said to be corked. However, TCA can also be present in oak barrels or somewhere along the bottling line. In these cases, this compound has the potential to ruin entire batches of wine rather than just a bottle or two.

We smell the cork when we open a bottle of wine because it’s easy to detect TCA here. This chemical compound exudes aromas of wet cardboard, moldy newspaper, or wet dog. When there’s only low levels of TCA, it can be challenging to detect. Though the wine’s fruit flavors will be muted and it will seem less fresh.

If you encounter a corked bottle of wine at a restaurant, send it back and ask for a different bottle or a different wine all together. Additionally, if you’ve purchased a bottle of wine which ends up being corked when you open it at home, don’t dump out the bottle. Re-cork the bottle and take it back to the store, as they should replace it.

Reduction

If a stinky aroma of boiled cabbage, rotten eggs, or clogged drains greets you upon smelling your glass of wine, the wine is said to be reductive or reduced. This wine fault occurs when the wine didn’t receive enough controlled oxygen exposure during the winemaking process. Therefore, the wine’s molecules were unable to combine or polymerize resulting in this stinky smell.

Notably, reduction isn’t always considered a fault. A small amount of reductive notes can add character and complexity to certain wines. If the reductive notes are overpowering, aeration might help them to dissipate so you can still enjoy the wine.

Oxidation

Alternatively, oxidation occurs when the wine has been overexposed to oxygen. This wine fault is frequently a result of defective wine closures. Additionally, it might occur in improperly stored bottles in which the corks have dried up and no longer maintain their seal.

In the glass, oxidized wines look browner and more deeply colored than they should be. They’ll lack freshness and fruit aromas, exhibiting aromas of toffee, caramel, honey, or coffee instead.

Remember, certain wines like Sherry or Vernaccia di Oristano are made purposefully in oxidative styles. In these cases, oxidation is not considered a fault.

Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is added to almost all wines for preservative purposes. If excessive amounts have been added to the wine, a pungent smell of freshly burnt matches will be present. At lower levels, sulfur dioxide will mask the fruit aromas in the wine. Oftentimes, aerating the wine or giving your wine glass more vigorous swirls will dispel some of the sulfur dioxide.

Out of Condition

If wines have been improperly stored, they are more likely to lose their vibrancy and freshness. This can occur in storage conditions that are too hot, too bright with a lot of direct sunlight, or in variable conditions with inconsistent temperatures and light exposure. Consequently, the wines become dull and stale. Heat damaged wines might taste nutty with a roasted brown sugar aroma. The extra heat can also push the corks out of the bottle, thus breaking the seal and causing oxidation.

At this point, there’s not much you can do to save the wine. So, be sure to properly store your wines to prevent this avoidable wine fault.

Volatile Acidity

Volatile acidity is not always considered a wine fault because all wines have some amount of VA. Moreover, certain winemakers feel it adds complexity and character to their wines. VA is the result of a build up of acetic acid during the winemaking process caused by the acetobacter bacteria and an overexposure of oxygen. Yet volatile acidity is considered a wine fault when high levels are present, leading to vinegar or nail polish remover aromas. Nobody wants to drink nail polish remover, am I right!?

Brettanomyces

Brettanomyces, commonly referred to as Brett, is another wine fault that’s not always an indicator of a faulty wine, depending on who you’re talking to. It’s a type of wild yeast which gives wines barnyard, sweaty horse saddle, Band-Aid, or hay bale aromas. Again, some winemakers and enthusiasts believe Brett adds complexity to wines.

Personally, I can’t stand wine with Brett. It’s so unpleasant and completely overwhelms the other aromas and flavors of the wine. Plus, once Brett gets into the winery, it’s extremely difficult to get rid of. To save Brett-tainted barrels for future use, techniques like infrared lasers and pressurized steam vapor are needed as the wild yeast gets ingrained in the wood.

So, now you know how to tell if wine is bad!

As with anything in life, practice makes perfect. The more you encounter these wine faults, the easier they will be to detect. Though I don’t wish many faulty wines upon you. Rather, I hope you’re exploring all the wonderful aromas in wine our favorite beverage has to offer!

March 21st Was World Vermouth Day!

I had planned to make a batch of homemade vermouth and share the recipe, results, and some cocktail recipes in honor of the occasion. However, time was not on my side this month. I was slammed and simply didn’t get around to it.

BUT I did connect with an Instagram friend who is also a bartender and is always throwing super fun cocktail events that I’d love to attend. Sakshi Shukla, Le Sip with Sakshi on Instagram, is based in India and she kindly agreed to share two cocktail recipes to make with vermouth.

In case you’re not familiar, vermouth is an aromatized fortified wine that’s flavored with an assortment of botanicals and spices. It’s super easy to make at home, and I often find it’s popular among wine lovers since it’s made with wine. If you’d like to give your own batch a whirl to level up your at-home cocktails, here’s a great vermouth recipe from Wine Enthusiast. Personally, I prefer a dry vermouth and it’s a key component in one of my favorite cocktails–the Negroni!

From Sakshi:

Vermouth originated in Italy and France, and is classified into two main types: sweet (red) vermouth and dry (white) vermouth. It plays a crucial role in classic cocktails like the Negroni, Manhattan, and Martini. Vermouth can also be enjoyed on its own, over ice, or with soda as an aperitif.

Here are two cocktails featuring vermouth, one classic and one more modern.

1. Classic Cocktail: Negroni

Your go-to cocktail, the Negroni, is a simple yet balanced bitter-sweet drink.

Ingredients:

• 30 ml Gin

• 30 ml Sweet Vermouth

• 30 ml Campari

• Orange peel or slice (for garnish)

Method:

1. Fill a mixing glass with ice.

2. Pour in gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari.

3. Stir well for 15–20 seconds.

4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

5. Garnish with an orange peel or slice.

2. Westernized Twist: Vermouth & Thyme Spritz

A light, refreshing, herbaceous take on a vermouth cocktail, perfect for sipping during brunch or a casual evening.

Ingredients:

• 60 ml Dry Vermouth

• 15 ml Elderflower Liqueur (like St-Germain)

• 90 ml Sparkling Wine (or Prosecco)

• 30 ml Soda Water

• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme (for garnish)

• Lemon zest (for garnish)

Method:

1. Fill a wine glass with ice.

2. Pour in dry vermouth and elderflower liqueur.

3. Top with sparkling wine and soda water.

4. Stir gently and garnish with fresh thyme and lemon zest.

Follow Sakshi for more innovative cocktail inspiration!