Chapter Two: Wine Faults

Front 1

Cork taint

Back 1

2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA); generated by mold interacting with other compounds; the mold can grow on and in the bark of the cork oak tree, on the winemaking implements or even in the winery

Front 2

Reports of cork taint (as a %)

Back 2

1-10%

Front 3

Recognition threshold of cork taint

Back 3

2-7 parts per trillion (ppt); some people cannot detect TCA at all

Front 4

Odors resulting from these sulfur compounds

Back 4

sulfur dioxide [S02], hydrogen sulfide [H2S], mercaptan

Front 5

Odor resulting from: sulfur dioxide [S02]

Back 5

sulfur compound; acrid smell (burnt matches); may cause "burning" sensation in the throat and nose; the sensory affects are directly related to pH (the more acidic the wine = the more pronounced the S02 will be)

Front 6

Odor resulting from: hydrogen sulfide [H2S]

Back 6

sulfur compound; odor of rotten eggs (Garde Manger); occurs when wine sits too long in the complete absence of oxygen (screw cap); happens most often when a barrel or tank of wine rests for a long time with a large amount of yeast sediment in the bottom

Front 7

Odor resulting from: mercaptan

Back 7

sulfur compound; smell of garlic or onions; "ethyl marcaptan" may form as a combination of sulfur and ethanol; added to odorless natural gas to help people detect a leak; less remediable than S02 and H2S

Front 8

Odors resulting from the action of these bacteria

Back 8

acetic acid, butyric acid, lactic acid, ethyl acetate, geranium

Front 9

Odor resulting from: acetic acid

Back 9

from the action of bacteria; odor of vinegar

Front 10

Odor resulting from: butyric acid

Back 10

from the action of bacteria; odor of rancid butter or spoiled cheese

Front 11

Odor resulting from: lactic acid

Back 11

from the action of bacteria; smell described as being like sauerkraut or a goat

Front 12

Odor resulting from: ethyl acetate

Back 12

from the action of bacteria; odor of fingernail polish remover or airplane glue; formed through a reaction of ethanol and acetic acid

Front 13

Ascensence

Back 13

results from the combination of acetic acid and ethyl acetate; ethyl acetate is formed through a reaction of ethanol and acetic acid; *don't know what ascensence does

Front 14

Odor resulting from: geranium

Back 14

from the action of bacteria; smells of crushed geranium leaves; normally caused by incomplete maloactic fermentation or the improper breakdown of the preservative sorbic acid

Front 15

Odors resulting from these other causes

Back 15

brett, green, oxidized, maderized, moldy, rubbery, stagnant, stemmy, wet cardboard, yeasty or leesy, reduction or reductive

Front 16

Odor resulting from: brett

Back 16

other causes; "brettanomyces"; causes a sweaty or horsy oder or may deaden the primary flavors; other descriptors include band-aid-like or medicinal; member of the yeast family; some find brett acceptable in small quantities, others consider it a fault at any level

Front 17

Odor resulting from: green

Back 17

other causes; odor of leaves; usually resulting from the use of immature (under-ripe) grapes

Front 18

Odor resulting from: oxidized

Back 18

other causes; nutty, caramelized character (associated with fino Sherry); leads to a pronounced lack of fruit flavor and possible browning; oxygen will dissolve in wine and react with phenolic compounds to create acetaldehyde

Front 19

Odor resulting from: maderized

Back 19

other causes; cooked or baked odor; caused by excessive heating or oxidation; acceptable for Madeira (deliberately heated)

Front 20

Odor resulting from: moldy

Back 20

other causes; odor of mold resulting from moldy grapes or moldy barrels

Front 21

Odor resulting from: rubbery

Back 21

other causes; odor of rubber, sometimes associated with very low-acid wines or excess sulfur

Front 22

Odor resulting from: stagnant

Back 22

other causes; a stale water odor

Front 23

Odor resulting from: stemmy

Back 23

other causes; the bitter, green odor of grape stems

Front 24

Odor resulting from: wet cardboard

Back 24

other causes; a papery chemical odor, frequently associated with cork taint or the misuse of filter pads or filtering materials

Front 25

Odor resulting from: yeasty or leesy

Back 25

other causes; odor of yeast; may develop if dead yeast cells remain in contact with wine too long; acceptable for sparkling wines and wine aged "sur lie" (on the lees)

Front 26

Odor resulting from: reduction or reductive

Back 26

other causes; a smell of rotten eggs, garlic, struck matches, cabbage or burnt rubber; these odors occur in "reducing conditions" (lack of oxygen); not an accurate term to describe the chemical process but is commonly used