Chapter 2 - Wine Faults

Question 1

What is Trichloroanisole (TCA)?

Answer 1

A musty, moldy odor in wine. (coorked or cork taint) The culprit is a mold that can grow on and in the bark of the cork oak tree, on the winemaking implements, or even in the winery. The mold reacts with other compounds to generate the chemical TCA.

Question 2

How widely does cork taint affect the wine industry?

Answer 2

1%-8% of wine bottles produced each year are corked.

Question 3

Which faulty odors in wine result from sulfur compounds?

Answer 3

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
Mercaptan

Question 4

How does Sulfure dioxide (S02) affect wine?

Answer 4

Burnt matches smell. It can also give a burning sensation in the throat and nose. It is directly related to pH.

Question 5

How does Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) affect wine?

Answer 5

Rotten eggs smell. It happens when a barrel or tank rests for a long time with a large amount of yeast sediment in the bottom. It can also be a problem for wines with closed screw caps, which don’t allow oxygen to flow through.

Question 6

How does Mercaptan affect wine?

Answer 6

Garlic or onion smell. Mercaptan is the odor added to odorless natural gas to help people detect a leak.

Question 7

Which faulty odors in wine result from bacteria in wine?

Answer 7

Acetic acid
Butyric acid
Lactic acid
Ethyl acetate
Geranium

Question 8

How does acetic acid affect wine?

Answer 8

Odor of vinegar

Question 9

How does butyric acid affect wine?

Answer 9

Rancid butter or spoiled cheese

Question 10

How does lactic acid affect wine?

Answer 10

Sauerkraut or goat

Question 11

How does ethyl acetate affect wine?

Answer 11

Finger nail polish remover

Question 12

How does geranium affect wine?

Answer 12

An odor of geranium leaves caused by an incomplete malolactic fermentation or the improper breakdown of the preservative sorbic acid.