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

Photo by Justin Lauria on Unsplash

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?

Do You Know that Light Can Damage Wine?

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

While heat can be a bottle of wine’s biggest enemy, it turns out that light can also do damage.

The biggest source of light damage comes from a bottle being exposed to too much sunlight and its harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. But even fluorescent lights in a store or in your home can be damaging.

Now, there are many variables as to how much damage can occur including how much time the bottle is exposed to the light, the type of wine in the bottle and the bottling material.

The damage that occurs to a bottle of wine occurs over time and can dull the fruit flavors in the wine or, worst case, results in some unpleasant smells being generated in the bottle as the wine undergoes chemical changes as a result of the interactions with the rays of light.

In general, it’s important to protect your wine from exposure to ultraviolet light. White wines, sparkling wines and rosés are more susceptible to damage than reds. And, to compound the problem, many white wines and rosés are bottled in clear glass that provide little to no protection to the wine.

Green glass bottles provide greater protection than clear glass, but amber or brown glass is an even greater safeguard. But, unfortunately, white wines and rosé wines are usually sold in clear glass so as to show off their color.

You’ve probably seen shelves of bottled wine in store-front windows. And, you certainly seen shelves of wine in stores with fluorescent lighting. Sunlight can do damage quickly while indoor fluorescent lighting’s harmful effect occurs over time.

So, don’t buy wines that have been sitting in store-front windows. And, shop for bottles of wine in stores that have a good turnover of their stock since the lighting and the store temperature can take a toll.

While there is no one answer for how much light equates to damage, it’s best to play is safe and only store wines for extended periods of time in the coolest, darkest part of your house. Then, enjoy all the fruit flavors that the winemaker intended for you to experience. Cheers!

The Various Ways that Wines Can Go Bad

Last time we looked at how a wine can turn brown and take on a nutty sherry-like flavor. That’s oxidation which is just one of several ways in which a wine can go bad.

There are several other common wine flaws. So, let’s take a quick look at each.

TCA — This is a powerful chemical that even in tiny amounts can cause musty aromas and flavors in wines. TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole) most frequently comes from natural corks and gets into wine in the bottle. It can also come from barrels, pallets, and cardboard boxes. Although TCA taint will not harm you, it can ruin a wine. When TCA levels get high in a wine bottle it can make the wine smell moldy or musty, like cardboard, damp cement or wet newspapers.

Sulfur — Sulfur has the unmistakable scent of rotten eggs. Sulfur (not to be confused with sulfites) is commonly used in winemaking, in small amounts. But, again, when the levels become higher through over use it causes hydrogen sulfide to form resulting in stinky wine.

Vinegar Taint — It’s a common phrase used when wine goes bad — “It’s turned to vinegar.” Well, what actually happens is that Acetic acid builds up in wine when there’s too much exposure to oxygen during winemaking and is usually caused by acetobacter which is indeed used in the vinegar-making process. You’ll immediately notice the sharp vinegar smell that’s also been described as being like nail polish remover.

Brett — This is another common fault that’s attributed to yeast spoilage. “Brett” is short for Brettanomyces. And, again, your nose will immediately let you know of this spoilage that’s been described as smelling like a barnyard, a stable, a cow pie or a sweaty horse blanket. For those city folks who haven’t had the barnyard experience, Brett has also been described as oddly metallic or like the aroma of a Band-Aid.

The above wine faults are attributable to problems that are introduced at the winery. The next two are handling faults that happen anywhere between the winery and your wine glass.

Heat Damage — A sealed bottle of wine can be damaged or destroyed by getting too hot. In wine country, wineries warn you not to leave your purchases in the car and welcome you bringing wine that you’ve purchased elsewhere into their tasting room to keep it cool. But, heat damage can occur during shipping, on a store’s shelf, during a delivery that sits on your hot front porch, or simply after you purchase a bottle. Never leave bottles of wine out at room temperature for a prolonged period. A home refrigerator (typically in the low 30s F is too cold but better than nothing. In round numbers, white wines should be stored in the 40 to 50 degrees F range while reds should be stored in the 50 to 60 F range.

Light Damage — This is another problem that can just as easily happen in the store as in your home. When wine is exposed to prolong sun light, or simply just near a window, it can rapidly go bad. Here again you can get strong odors (wet wool) that will immediately let you know the wine has gone bad.

So, let your eyes and nose help you detect wine faults. And, ensure you properly handle and store your wine bottles once they are in your possession. Cheers!