by Brandon Wainscott
So I just bought a bottle of wine and yuck...it was coked. Or something like that. Most people, when they get a nasty bottle of wine, assume it's corked but that is not always the case. Bad wine can be because of a number of faults and the one I got seems to be either one of the sulphur faults; or, prepare yourself for a trip back to chemistry class, trichloranisole, a word that even my spell check is not picking up. It is three chlorine atoms (Cl) and... oh, to hell with it...I barely passed chemistry. We non-Walter Whites just call it the cork taint.
I am hoping it is the former as it seems hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is easier to treat with aeration; and thus I have it in a tall glass and another wine glass which I am using as a redneck decanter. The glass I am decanting in is one of those glasses McDonald's gives out for free once a year. Meanwhile in the wine glass beside me I have the wine and it's not good at all. Sulphur seems to be on the finish. So perhaps, just perhaps, it will turn out decent. Bacchus, come to my assistance!
So what did I do about all this? Well, I actually got this same wine today and opened it up, and being faulted, decided to take it back to the retailer which is accepted practise, though it can take some courage. And so against my better judgment, I got the very same thing and it has the very same fault! I should have gotten something else, but I figured it might just be the bottle. It was the batch I suppose. I cannot possibly take it back now but here's my advice: get a bad bottle of wine? Take it back. No, not one you simply don't like because you just don't like it. Too bad! That's just bad manners and we wine drinkers know all about good manners with our pinkies up in air. No, return a wine that is corked or has any other fault. And get another wine for the same price or pay the difference. I am not sure you can get something cheaper, but you can try. You should be able to get something more expensive though.You just have to pay the difference. Take your receipt though, although I did not have mine--but I'm a regular, so I was fortunate.
And do not get the very same thing, at least not that time. And not for a while perhaps because all the bottles likely came from the same batch. You can get something from the same maker like I should have--Merlot instead of the Cabernet Sauvignon. But yes, you can take it back, though some retailers, especially if it is not specifically a wine store, may be a bit hesitant. But you'll get your way if you are nice and sound like you know what you are talking about. Just say, "It seems to have a fault. Corked I think or perhaps hydrogen sulphide." And you should not drink more than half the bottle, and certainly not half! Hopefully you just drank a glass or so. Seriously though, if you only drink a little the retailer can send it back to the producer and get another bottle to replace it. Oh and there is a difference between a fault and a flaw. Faults are undrinkable, while flaws are drinkable negatives in a wine.
Now this all really sucks as I was planning on watching a foodie/wine movie tonight with my wine. But given the wine ain't that great I am just going to watch The West Wing on Netflix or another movie. I watched The Duchess last night with the sexy Kiera Knightley playing the famed Duchess of Devonshire. I do love the look of women in those powdered wigs and beautiful 18th century dresses with their playful cleavage. And the hats! Miss Knightley's gorgeous face really strands out in 18th century headwear:
Well, that wine seems to be opening up, somewhat at least. Not as good as this wine usually it, but drinkable now. Yes, just air out a faulted wine and see if it will correct it. If not, throw it away. Or take it back. You can always pour decanted wine back into the bottle. In fact you should before serving ideally. Everyone gets to see the bottle which is nice. Well another period movie perhaps. No wait! Scandal is on tonight. She likes red wine. But she drinks the good stuff...well, she does but remember even a $60 bottle of wine can be faulted. But faults in wine, thank Bacchus, they are rare.
So I just bought a bottle of wine and yuck...it was coked. Or something like that. Most people, when they get a nasty bottle of wine, assume it's corked but that is not always the case. Bad wine can be because of a number of faults and the one I got seems to be either one of the sulphur faults; or, prepare yourself for a trip back to chemistry class, trichloranisole, a word that even my spell check is not picking up. It is three chlorine atoms (Cl) and... oh, to hell with it...I barely passed chemistry. We non-Walter Whites just call it the cork taint.
I am hoping it is the former as it seems hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is easier to treat with aeration; and thus I have it in a tall glass and another wine glass which I am using as a redneck decanter. The glass I am decanting in is one of those glasses McDonald's gives out for free once a year. Meanwhile in the wine glass beside me I have the wine and it's not good at all. Sulphur seems to be on the finish. So perhaps, just perhaps, it will turn out decent. Bacchus, come to my assistance!
So what did I do about all this? Well, I actually got this same wine today and opened it up, and being faulted, decided to take it back to the retailer which is accepted practise, though it can take some courage. And so against my better judgment, I got the very same thing and it has the very same fault! I should have gotten something else, but I figured it might just be the bottle. It was the batch I suppose. I cannot possibly take it back now but here's my advice: get a bad bottle of wine? Take it back. No, not one you simply don't like because you just don't like it. Too bad! That's just bad manners and we wine drinkers know all about good manners with our pinkies up in air. No, return a wine that is corked or has any other fault. And get another wine for the same price or pay the difference. I am not sure you can get something cheaper, but you can try. You should be able to get something more expensive though.You just have to pay the difference. Take your receipt though, although I did not have mine--but I'm a regular, so I was fortunate.
And do not get the very same thing, at least not that time. And not for a while perhaps because all the bottles likely came from the same batch. You can get something from the same maker like I should have--Merlot instead of the Cabernet Sauvignon. But yes, you can take it back, though some retailers, especially if it is not specifically a wine store, may be a bit hesitant. But you'll get your way if you are nice and sound like you know what you are talking about. Just say, "It seems to have a fault. Corked I think or perhaps hydrogen sulphide." And you should not drink more than half the bottle, and certainly not half! Hopefully you just drank a glass or so. Seriously though, if you only drink a little the retailer can send it back to the producer and get another bottle to replace it. Oh and there is a difference between a fault and a flaw. Faults are undrinkable, while flaws are drinkable negatives in a wine.
Now this all really sucks as I was planning on watching a foodie/wine movie tonight with my wine. But given the wine ain't that great I am just going to watch The West Wing on Netflix or another movie. I watched The Duchess last night with the sexy Kiera Knightley playing the famed Duchess of Devonshire. I do love the look of women in those powdered wigs and beautiful 18th century dresses with their playful cleavage. And the hats! Miss Knightley's gorgeous face really strands out in 18th century headwear:
Well, that wine seems to be opening up, somewhat at least. Not as good as this wine usually it, but drinkable now. Yes, just air out a faulted wine and see if it will correct it. If not, throw it away. Or take it back. You can always pour decanted wine back into the bottle. In fact you should before serving ideally. Everyone gets to see the bottle which is nice. Well another period movie perhaps. No wait! Scandal is on tonight. She likes red wine. But she drinks the good stuff...well, she does but remember even a $60 bottle of wine can be faulted. But faults in wine, thank Bacchus, they are rare.
No comments:
Post a Comment