Lady Bug Taint in Wine? Yes - It's a Real Thing!

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There are various type of problems that can occur in the winemaking process that result in the wine being damaged, or tainted.

Some common wine faults include:

• Oxidized wine - Wine which is exposed to too much oxygen can take on orange/brown colors and nutty flavor

• Brett - Caused by a type of yeast, this fault causes wine to smell like a barnyard, hay bales, a sweaty horse saddle, Band-Aids, or a sweaty horse

• Cork Taint - Caused by airborne fungi and bacteria, wine takes on the odors of wet newspaper, a wet dog, or moldy cardboard

• Cooked Wine - When wine has been exposed to too much heat, it can take on a nutty, brown color along with a roasted sugar aroma

• Lightstrike - After exposure to too much UV light the wine may take on the smell of wet wool

These types of damage are sometimes rare (e.g., Brett, Cork Taint) and others are more common than we think (e.g., Oxidation, Cooked wine, Lightstrike). But then there’s Lady Bug Taint!

Lady bugs are quite common in the outdoors and generally thought to be beneficial to plants. The problem comes when Lady bugs remain on clusters of grapes during the winemaking process. When they are in distress, such as being crushed or drowned, their defense mechanism is to give off a smelly compound. This compound can have nutty notes, sometimes compared to roasted peanuts. It can also include odors of molded potatoes, asparagus, rotten peas or green bell pepper. It’s thought that just one beetle per vine can be enough to taint the resulting wine!

While not considered harmful to humans, this Lady bug taint is a real thing. So, as always, if your wine has an off-odor, it’s likely one of many things that can be damaging, including Lady bug taint. Who knew?

Ever Wonder? What is Corked Wine?

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In the wine world, there is such a thing as “Corked” wine. And, no, it doesn’t mean that the cork has been removed from a bottle of wine. Pulling the cork is usually a good thing. But, a “Corked” wine is actually a bad thing.

You may have had “Corked” wine and not even noticed. But, usually it’s quite apparent. That is, if you know what you’re looking for.

“Corked” wine refers to a wine that has been contaminated with ‘cork taint.’ This can happen if the wine is bottled with an infected cork. This infection occurs when natural cork fungi come in contact with certain chlorides found in bleaches and other cleaning products. This combination forms Trichloroanisole (TCA) which is what is responsible for ‘cork taint.’

This cork ‘infection’ can have two very different effects on a wine. The one that is easiest to detect is an odor that’s been compared to the smell of wet cardboard, wet newspaper, a damp basement or even a wet dog! The other less detectable effect is that the wine will seem to lack aromas and have little or no taste. This seems to be from the fact that TCA has a way interfering with your sense of smell.

So, if you pull the cork on a wine and get a musty aroma, or if you are very familiar with a wine, and this bottle just doesn’t seem anything like it should, you’re likely dealing with a “Corked” wine. Now, there’s actually no harm in consuming a “Corked” wine. But, the musty aroma or the complete lack of aroma may strongly affect your enjoyment of the wine. The literature suggests that as much as 3% of wines that are sealed with a cork will be “Corked.” So, always remember to practice the 5 S’s of wine, with one of those being ‘Smell.’ And, here’s to drinking un-tainted wine! Cheers!

How to Deal with the Rituals of Ordering a Bottle of Wine

Have you ever just ordered glasses of wine at a restaurant to avoid having to deal with the whole process involved in buying a bottle? It can seem a bit intimidating at first. Dealing with your server for a glass of wine seems to be a lot more expedient.  But ordering a bottle of wine isn't hard if you become comfortable with rituals involved.

First, ordering a bottle can be a great value. A standard 750 ml bottle of wine will yield approximately five to six glasses of wine. This is usually less expensive than ordering five or six individual glasses of wine at your table.  So take a deep breath, order a bottle and you'll quickly learn to deal with the rituals.

Once you've chosen your bottle of wine your server should bring the unopened bottle to your table and present you with the bottle, showing you the label.  This is simply done to ensure they have brought the correct bottle that you ordered. You simply need to take a quick look at the label and then let your server know "That's correct" or "That looks good!"

Next, your server will take out a corkscrew, remove the foil capsule covering the cork, and extract the cork.  Your server will typically place the cork in front of you.  You don't need to smell the cork. But you should do a quick inspection of it. Look to see if there is any evidence of the wine having leaked up any of the sides. This should be obvious for either a white or red wine. A small amount of seepage up the side of the cork is normal in a bottle of wine that has spent some time on its side.  You just don't want to see the entire cork soaked or soggy. And don't be afraid to ask your server about any thing that looks unusual.

Next, your server will pour a small taste for the person who ordered the wine. This is not meant to be your opportunity to sample a bunch of wines before you find the right one. The small taste is simply meant to allow you to confirm that the bottle that you order has not gone bad. And, again, you'll immediately know. If you smell strong obnoxious odors of wet cardboard or the smell of a wet dog, the wine has gone bad. But, assuming the wine is fine, simply let your server know that it's fine.  They will then pour the wine for others at the table and return to pour your glass. Oh, and remember, a properly poured glass of wine is about one-third full, not to the rim.

The bottle will then be left on the table. If you are drinking a bottle of sparkling wine, the server may provide an ice bucket or you may request one. A good server will keep watch on your table and ensure that everyone's glass remains full and offer to bring another bottle, if necessary. But feel free to pick up the bottle and pour more for those at the table and yourself.

And that's it.  It's really quite simple. A wine server should be there to aid you in the process, not make it difficult or intimidating.  Here's to your next bottle. Cheers!