Most often, we open a bottle of wine and are greeted with wonderful aromas and flavors that delight our senses and taste buds. However, on a rare occasion, and sometimes in home winemaking, we encounter less than pleasant aromas and tastes. Are these considered wine flaws or wine faults – and what is the difference? What we would most like to know is how to identify these and what causes them.
To start with, let’s understand the difference between a wine flaw and a wine fault. A wine flaw is an imperfection in the wine, such as a slight off-odor, minor cloudiness, bubbles or small particles in the wine. A wine flaw might also include an imbalance with acidity/sweetness, short finish, lack of exceptional aroma or flavor, or color that is slightly off from expectations for that varietal. These are all considered wine flaws because they are not considered normal for the wine type but they are minor enough that the wine is still drinkable.
On the other hand, a wine fault is a major deviance from the normal characteristic of the wine and causes it to be undrinkable. A wine that has developed cork taint is usually so pungent that the wine is undrinkable. Likewise, a wine that has developed high volatile acidity (VA) will be so sharp and acidic that it too is undrinkable. These are both examples of wine faults.
The majority of wine flaws and faults can be grouped into: oxidation, sulfur compounds, microbiological, and environment. These are often the result of poor winemaking practices or decisions.
Oxidation is the most common cause of wine faults, with oxygen being both a friend and foe in the winemaking process. During fermentation, oxygen is our friend as it is vital for the yeasts to thrive and perform their job of converting sugar into alcohol. After primary fermentation, oxygen often becomes more of a foe as it can become the catalyst for numerous reactions including a rise involatile acidity.
Other common wine faults fall into the Sulfur Compounds category. Negative sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), are often associated with the olfactory flaw known as “reduced” notes. This means that you have a high amount of negative sulfur-based compounds and not enough available oxygen in the wine to mitigate these compounds. In winemaking, there is a fine balance between a “reductive” environment (“low redox potential”) where H2S will persist, and an “oxidative” environment (“high redox potential”) where sulfurs will often precipitate out.
Microbiological faults are often the result of contamination with bacteria or yeasts that have not been inhibited by sufficient sulfur dioxide (SO2), which serves as an antimicrobial and antioxidant agent in winemaking.
Environmental faults are the easiest faults to avoid by simply ensuring that winemaking and storage facilities follow best practices in environmental controls such as temperature and light.
Below is a description of some of the common wine flaws (if minor) or faults (if excessive):
Oxidation Faults
| Flaw/Fault | Sensory Description | Cause |
| Acetaldehyde | Smells like sherry, nutty, bruised apple or dried out straw. | Wine is exposed to too much air during winemaking/bottling. Also result of film bacteria (Acetobacter) on surface of wine. Low SO2 also contributes to this development. |
| Surface Yeast Contamination (Candida) | Smells like musty wet cardboard, acrid, sherry. | Too much headspace in container and oxygen is touching the wine surface. Low SO2 contributes to this development. |
| Acetic Acid / VA (Volatile Acidity) | Smells sharp like vinegar or pickles. | Typically caused by acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter) but can also be lactic acid bacteria. Excess oxygen in the headspace of tanks, barrels or carboys. Low SO2 levels in wine. |
| Ethyl Acetate / VA (Volatile Acidity) | Smells sweet or fruity at low levels. Sharp, acetone or nail polish remover at high levels. | Oxidation of wine along with microbial spoilage such as Acetobacter. |
Sulfur Faults
| Flaw/Fault | Sensory Description | Cause |
| Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) | Smells like a burnt match head; sharp/acrid, nose burn sensation. | Sulfur dioxide is often added to wine as an antioxidant or antimicrobial agent. But too much added can cause this sulfur flaw. |
| Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) | Smells like rotten egg. Very pungent and offensive but can dissipate with aeration. | Reduction of elemental sulfur residue (from fungicide sprays on grapes, soil). Yeast stress from lack of nitrogen/nutrients or temperature stress. Lack of oxygen during fermentation. |
| Ethyl Mercaptan | Smells like garlic/onion, cabbage, vegetal, skunk. Very pungent and offensive. | Existing H2S reacts with ethane to form mercaptans. Yeast metabolizing sulfur in the lees (during fermentation) or during aging from H2S that was not removed earlier. |
| Thiols & Disulfides | Smells like burnt rubber, garlic/onion, canned corn, cooked cabbage. Very pungent and offensive. | Further oxidation and development of ethyl mercaptan (ethane or methane thiols). Difficult to treat at this advancement. |
Microbiological Faults
| Flaw/Fault | Sensory Description | Cause |
| Brettanomyces 4-Ethyl-guaiacol (4EG) | Smells of smoky, spicy, cloves. | Contamination of Brettanomyces (spoilage yeast) due to improper sanitation and inadequate SO2 levels. |
| Brettanomyces 4-Ethyl-phenol (4EP) | Smells like stables, horsey, sweaty-saddles. | Contamination of Brettanomyces (spoilage yeast) due to improper sanitation and inadequate SO2 levels. |
| Brettanomyces 4-Vinyl-phenol | Smells medicinal like plastic Band-aid bandages. | Combination of both 4EG and 4EP also due to improper sanitation and inadequate SO2 levels. |
| Yeast / Ongoing Fermentation | Smells yeasty with visible cloudiness and fizziness. | Residual sugar is left remaining in the wine with insufficient SO2 to inhibit and/or lack of sterile bottling. |
| Lactic Acid Bacteria | Smells like a swampy, stale dishcloth or sauerkraut. Wine may appear turbid and slightly effervescent. | Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used to convert malic acid to lactic acid during malolactic fermentation (MLF). Caution must be taken to ensure that MLF is complete before bottling or that MLF has been properly inhibited, followed by sterile filtration. |
| Diacetyl | Smells like rancid butter, buttery, butterscotch. | Diacetyl is produced by the metabolism of citric acid in the wine during malolactic fermentation (MLF). Can be considered nice when this aroma is desired, but is usually not desired in red wines. |
| Geraniol | Smells like crushed geranium leaves, floral, sweet, bubblegum. | This fault occurs when lactic acid bacteria reacts with excessive amounts of potassium sorbate (sorbic acid) during malolactic fermentation. |
Environmental / Other Faults
| Flaw/Fault | Sensory Description | Cause |
| Cork Taint (Trichloranisole / TCA) | Smells moldy, musty (wet newspapers), and earthy like decayed wood. Fruit aromas are masked. | Caused by a reaction between chlorine (cleaners) or bromophenols (fungicides) with fungus often found in corks. |
| Heat Damage | Smells like cooked fruits or maderized wine. | Excessive storage temperatures for prolonged periods or excessive temperature fluctuations |
| Lightstrike | Delicate white wines may take on a wet wool or wet cardboard characteristic. | Caused by excessive exposure of white wines to light. Wine bottles should be dark glass and/or stored in dark environments. |
| Excessive Oak | Overly oaky and loss of fruit characters. | Wine spent too much time on oak. |
| Acid Imbalance | Wine tastes flabby. | Too low TA (tartaric acid) and too high pH in wine. |
| Sediments | Wine smells fine but there are visual sediments in the wine. | Crystals may be due to tartrate instability; small sediments may be due to unfiltered wine; dark sediments in red wine may be due to unstable color (anthocyanin-tannin bonding). |
| Plastic | Wine smells like plastic or kerosene. | The use of non-food grade plastic containers in winemaking. |
Many of these wine flaws/faults can be avoided altogether by:
Let’s hope that all your wine tasting experiences will be pleasant without experiencing any of these wine flaws or faults!
– Irene Scott, WSET-3, CSWS
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate 2020
OCWS Wine Education Chair
irene@ocws.org
The host of the OCWS virtual wine event initiates an e-blast informing members of an upcoming seminar. The e-blast identifies the seminar event, date and time, and shows a sign up bar (link) for members to click and fill out. Once you have filled out the information, an email confirming your attendance will be sent to you from Zoom—please be sure to check your junk/spam folders if you didn’t receive a confirmation email.
Later you will receive another email providing you with everything you need to know about the event and how to access the Zoom event with a “Click Here to Join” link. It also provides a password, which is unique to you so that the event cannot be accessed by others—it is member specific.
Members also have the option of using a landline or cell phone to dial in to the event using the dial in numbers shown, the webinar identification number, and password. If this option is selected (not using your computer), you will not be able to view any presentations—you will only be able to listen to the audio of the event taking place.
Remember, you do not have to have a Zoom account to attend, you will be prompted to download the software once you click the link that you have been provided, utilizing your personal computer. For demonstration purposes only, below is a screen shot of how to join the event, which will be located midway in each seminar registration email. Each registration email will be different, so please do not rely on the password contained below:
Reprinted from and thanks to Director, Sara Yeoman
– Leslie Hodowanec, Director
– Rich Skoczylas, Director & Winery Program Chair
Many members have enjoyed our previous in-person OCWS Wine Education classes in 2019 and early 2020. Unfortunately, we had to postpone our remaining 2020 in-person classes due to COVID-19. Since the COVID-19 situation is still uncertain, we are going to continue our classes in the webinar format until the time comes when we can hold these classes in person again. Here are some wine education classes that you can look forward to:
· November 8, 2020 (Sunday @ 3 pm): PAIRING WINES WITH YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS—Learn about the 5 basic food tastes and how they impact the taste of your holiday food.
· December 6, 2020 (Sunday @ 3 pm): CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITH SPARKLING WINE—Discover different sparkling wines with which you can celebrate the upcoming holidays.
· January 10, 2021 (Sunday @ 3 pm): HOW TO TASTE WINE—Learn how to identify the aromas and flavors in your wine.
· February 7, 2021 (Sunday @ 3 pm): WINES OF SPAIN—Learn about the history of Spanish winemaking, their regions and their wines.
· March 7, 2021 (Sunday @ 3 pm): BORDEAUX – WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?—Learn what makes Bordeaux wines some of the most sought after in the world.
· April 11, 2021 (Sunday @ 3 pm): JUDGE WINE LIKE A PRO—Learn how wine professionals and judges evaluate a wine for its quality.
· May 2, 2021 (Sunday @ 3 pm): AMERICAN WINE REGIONS AND THEIR WINES—Explore the different wine regions in America, its wines and native grape varietals.
After the 2021 summer wine competitions and OC Fair events are done, we can expect more OCWS Wine Education classes to resume in September 2021. Please note that the above topics and dates are subject to change. Additional details will be announced one month prior to class.
If you have any questions or any class suggestions, please contact me at irene@ocws.org.
– Irene Scott, WSET-3, CSWS
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate 2020
OCWS Wine Education Chair
It is my sincere hope that everyone is staying safe, staying busy, and enjoying some great wines!
Since our last issue of The Wine Press, a lot of seminars for our members have been developed, scheduled, and taken place. We hope you have enjoyed the offerings during July which have been produced by our members: Ed Reyes, Carolyn Christian, Ken Knapp, Sara Yeoman, and Kevin Donnelly. If you missed our July lineup, do not miss the remaining seminars scheduled for August. Sign-ups are done online through a Zoom link found in the weekly email sent on Monday/Friday mornings or through corresponding links incorporated on our OCWS website’s Zoom Seminars page. Since these are member-only events, you must log in to see this page on our website. The OCWS Winery Program is also making plans to conduct their programs virtually this Fall. More details are provided in related articles in this month’s newsletter.
The OCWS has also partnered with the Orange County Fair & Event Center to participate in a Virtual Fair which will be held during the originally scheduled Fair dates of July 17 through August 16. We have posted two virtual offerings on Fair Food & Wine and Summer Go-To Wines. The Virtual Fair can be found at www.ocfair.com.
Summer has always been a busy time for the OCWS each year. Importantly, it is the time when new Board of Directors are needed as directors’ terms expire. Please consider submitting your candidacy now. I can promise you it is a rewarding experience in which you will get to know our members and get an opportunity to contribute to our future success. Each summer, we also have our “Annual Business Meeting” as required pursuant to Article 6 of our By-laws. The 2020 meeting will be held on Friday, September 11. Due to restrictions currently in place, the meeting will be held “virtually.” The announcement for sign-ups to this meeting will be sent out via email and posted on the ocws.org website in early August.
Cheers,
– Bill Redding, President
After COVID-19 made the outside world taboo, the OCWS adopted to interacting with members through computer screens. COVID has forced us to shift how we operate and interact in just a small window. During the month of July, we introduced the Summer Sundays Seminar series. Many members have expressed their interest in these web-based events and logged in without issue, some having never logged into a video platform before. We thought we would use this space to introduce Zoom to our membership.
How does a Zoom event work? Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool with a local, desktop or mobile application that allows users to meet online, with or without video. Zoom users can choose to record sessions, collaborate on projects, and share or annotate on one another’s screens, all with one easy-to-use platform.
The Wine Society has for quite some time used Constant Contact to e-blast messages to OCWS members throughout the month reminding members of events close to selling out and other important member information that needs immediate attention.
During the Summer Sundays Seminar series, Sara Yeoman Director, and host of these events, initiates an e-blast informing members of an upcoming seminar on Monday mornings. The e blast identifies the seminar event, date and time, and shows a “green” sign up bar (link) for members to click and fill out. Once you have filled out the information, an email confirming your attendance will be sent to you from Zoom—please be sure to check your junk/spam folders if you didn’t receive a confirmation email. Later in the week, you will receive another email providing you with everything you need to know about the event and how to access the Zoom event with a “Click Here to Join” link. It also provides a password, which is unique to you so that the event cannot be accessed by others—it is member specific. Members also have the option of using a landline or cell phone to dial in to the event using the dial in numbers shown, the webinar identification number, and password. If this option is selected (not using your computer), you will not be able to view any presentations—you will only be able to listen to the audio of the event taking place.
Remember, you do not have to have a Zoom account to attend, you will be prompted to download the software once you click the link you have been provided utilizing your personal computer.
For demonstration purposes only, below is a screen shot of how to join the event, which will be located midway in each seminar registration email. Each registration email will be different, so please do not rely on the password contained below:
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing us at Seminars@ocws.org. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have or walk you through the process before the event.
– Sara Yeoman, Director
COVID-19 has sidelined us, to say the least. The virus made us hunker down and forced us to find creative ways to virtually stay social. Various virtual OCWS wine seminars have taken place and will continue throughout the year for members to sign up and enjoy from the comfort of their own homes. This being the case, we thought we would reach out to our members with a promotional opportunity to invite your friends to get in on our exciting virtual opportunities by becoming members of the OCWS.
Do you have a friend or two or even three who has expressed an interest in wine? Even without the 2020 OC Fair taking place this year, we are running a membership promotion.
If your friend joins as a new member (former members are excluded), they will receive a $15 credit per member ($15 for a single membership, $30 for a dual membership) that they can use to attend any event prior to July 1, 2021. Shoot, that makes joining almost cost free! The credit cannot be used to purchase merchandise or for membership renewal fees.
So talk it up among your wine loving friends—knowing you, they know how much fun it is being a member of the OCWS. You all know how much fun this club is. New members can sign up through our website at ocws.org.
– Brian McDonald,
Director & Membership Chair
Over the last several months, the Membership Committee has posted an article in The Wine Press calling on members who have an interest in running for a OCWS Board seat to do so.
The What. In recent articles, we have outlined the overall time commitment, possession of certain skills and experience, and seeking individuals who are innovative, open-minded, results oriented, and problem solvers. All of these requirements are not unique, and most of us possess them.
We want you to seriously consider, and encourage you, to run for a seat on the OCWS Board!
The Why. As we see it, there are four major benefits of serving on the Board:
1. You play a key role in strategizing. When you serve on the Board, you have the honor, challenge, and responsibility of understanding how everything needs to work together to accomplish the OCWS’ goals and mission. It’s invigorating.
2. Giving of your time and talents, it’s really important, but also incredibly rewarding.
3. Your voice is heard, and it has an impact. And you will hear the impactful voices of other members, too.
4. Like most everything else in life, you find that you get what you give. You will care more than you thought you could, and as you grow into your role on the Board, you will contribute more. “To contribute to something is meaningful . . . to allow something meaningful to contribute to you.” It certainly does work both ways!
The Who. The beginning of a three-year term of the nine members of the Board of Directors, according to the Bylaws, shall be staggered such that three members’ terms will expire each year. The three vacated Board positions will be filled each year by a vote of the OCWS membership, following the Annual Business Meeting in September. We have two members that cannot run again so two positions will need to be filled by new members.
The When. Time is running out as we are approaching the deadline of receiving your written Declaration of Candidacy statement which is due no later than August 28th. To declare your candidacy for a position on the Board, the candidate must present their Declaration of Candidacy in writing, by mail or via electronic media to the Election Chair.
The Where. During the Annual Business Meeting, you will have the opportunity to present yourself to the membership and present your qualifications. A written Statement of Qualifications must be presented to the Election Committee no later than five (5) calendar days after your Declaration of Candidacy.
The How. If being an OCWS leader interests you, feel free to contact Greg Hagadorn with any questions related to Director responsibilities, the election process or anything related to the election. I can be reached at 714.388.8803 or at Greg@ocws.org.
-Greg Hagadorn, 2020 Election Chair
Leslie Brown & Jolen Zeroski,
2020 Election Committee Members
–
Grapes that are made into wine are often referred to as “Vitis vinifera”. But are all wine grapes Vitis vinifera? Can wine be made from grapes that are not Vitis vinifera? To understand what Vitis vinifera means, we should first understand the basics of Taxonomy, the science involved with the classification of organisms. We can thank Aristotle for first creating the classification of things as either animal, plant or mineral and further subdivisions based on how they looked or behaved. However, it was in the 1700s that Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus developed our current binomial system of Taxonomy. The Linnaean Classification system has every animal, plant or microbe given a two-part name. The first part is Genus (broad) and the second part is Species (specific). Some familiar binomial names you may be familiar with include: Tyrannosaurus rex, Gorilla gorilla, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Oenococcus oeni. Linnaean taxonomic ranks further divided all living things into increasingly more specific divisions such as: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
So, with this basic understanding of Taxonomy we know that Vitis is the genus (grapevines), and vinifera is the specific species of this grapevine. Vitis vinifera is a member of the Vitaceae family of woody, climbing vines and is native to the Mediterranean, Central Europe and southwest Asia.
Vitis vinifera is known as the “wine grape” because it is believed to produce some of the best tasting wine. Most of our well-loved varietal wines belong to this Genus/species: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, etc. Our favorite table grape, Thompson Seedless, is also of the Vitis vinifera species and while it doesn’t produce a favorable wine, is great for snacking and dried to raisins.
While the Mediterranean and Europe have their native Vitis vinifera, North America has its own native grape varietals. The “genus” is the same Vitis, however, the “species” are different from the European vinifera. Unfortunately, these native American vines often produce a less favorable wine, having an unpleasant “foxy” taste. Because the wines from native American vines are not as pleasant tasting as the European Vitis vinifera, there is less demand and popularity among wine connoisseurs for these varietals. However, many of these wines are still found in the East Coast or Midwest, where the vines originated from.
The main native American vine species include:
While Vitis vinifera wines may taste better than other Vitis species, they also have roots that are susceptible to the root-damaging louse, phylloxera. In the late 19th century, phylloxera devastated the vineyards in Europe when they were accidentally brought in from imported American grapevines. These American grapevines had long ago adapted to phylloxera and became resistant to the root-damaging louse.
To overcome the damaging effects of phylloxera, many grape growers experimented with cross-breeding of Vitis vinifera and the phylloxera-resistant American varietals. These varietals became known as “French-American hybrids”. While these hybrids were successfully phylloxera-resistant, they didn’t match up to the same high quality taste of the European Vitis vinifera.
To solve this problem, grape cultivators found that they could graft the Vitis vinifera vine onto the rootstock of the phylloxera-resistant native American varietals. This solution produced the same high-quality tasting European Vitis vinifera grapes on phylloxera-resistant native American rootstocks. To this day, this is still common viticulture practice for Vitis vinifera vines in Europe, America, and other areas where phylloxera is a problem. In sandy soils where phylloxera is not a problem, you may still find Vitis vinifera grapevines on their own rootstock (some connoisseurs believe this results in better tasting wine).
So, enjoy your glass of Vitis vinifera, while giving thanks to the native American varietals that saved this great-tasting species from extinction!
Irene Scott, WSET-3, CSWS
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate
OCWS Wine Education Chair
· Most domesticated grapevines have both male and female reproductive structures and are self-pollinated by wind. [1]
· The first U.S. AVA region was the Augusta AVA in Missouri. This AVA was federally approved on June 20, 1980, eight months before the Napa Valley AVA in California. [2]
· During Prohibition, Alicante Bouschet was the most popular grape varietal for winemaking because of its darker color and its thicker skins allowed for more successful train transportation to the East Coast. [3]
· The Norton grape varietal is thought to be the oldest American grape used for commercial production. This grape varietal also has the highest levels of resveratrol – a beneficial antioxidant. [4]
· The oldest-known winery is the “Areni-1” cave, discovered in Armenia in 2007. This winery is dated to c. 4100 BC and contains evidence of a wine press, fermentation vats, drinking cups and storage jars. Scientists also discovered evidence of Vitis vinifera seeds and grapevines. [5]
– Irene Scott, WSET-3, CSWS,
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate 2020
OCWS Wine Education Chair
Sources:
[1] Jackson, R.S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Fourth Edition, Academic Press 2014
[2] Missouri Wines: History and AVAs, 2018, https://missouriwine.org/about-us/history-and-avas
[3] Lukacs, P., American Vintage: The Rise of American Wine, W.W. Norton & Company LTD, 2000
[4] Wine Searcher: Norton Wine, 2015, https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-901-norton
[5] Wikipedia: History of Wine, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wine