The flaws of white wine, how to understand them!
Visual flaws of white wine
If you are about to taste a white wine, it is necessary, first of all, to see if the visual effect reflects the desired quality. The colour of white wine has to be similar to the type of variety used. Generally, white wines for sale have a straw yellow color with green veins. The colour will change towards stronger tones as the period of refining goes. The consumption of a white wine goes from the spring of the year after the grape harvest till 2 years. When a wine becomes amber or dark yellow it is no more suitable for the consumption. Do not even drink it as this appearance shows the effect of oxidation.
The clearness is another feature that talks about the quality of white wine. It consists in the ability to reflect the light thanks to the absence of parts in the surface. Unfortunately, because of problems connected to the vinification, stabilization and refining, it is possible to measure the impurity of the wine. Tartrates represent one of the most common problems. They are caused by the jumps of temperatures: for instance the exposure to low temperature cause the creation of this substances, that are like small crystals that sediment on the bottom. The taste is not affected but it is not pleasant under an aesthetic point of view.
Olfactory flaws of white wine
The cork taint is the main flaws, easy to recognize. The smell of mould, wet paper, humidity, then, are caused by a fungus in the cork. Armillaria Mellea or honey fungus, located in the cork of the stopper cause this unpleasant smell. It is now possible to prevent the problem, as it shows up once you open the bottle and taste the wine. It is possible to recognize the same smelling the bottles that have been hold in a vertical position. The cork, drying, cause the creation of moulds.
Sulfurous smells depends on different elements: extra anti parasitic based on sulfur given to the vine, high temperatures during the bottling, direct exposure to the sun rays of the tanks can cause strong smells.
Taste flaws of white wine
A white wine has to be fresh; it means that it has to have a good acidity. White wines have to be drunk quite young, the acidity, however should not be invasive. All depends on the grape harvest: if they have been picked too early, they will be characterized by high acidity; if they have been picked too late they will lack of freshness. A white wine without acidity is called flat.
Fonte Immagini: wikimedia.org
