Sometimes when you open a bottle of still wine, you might find it to be unexpectedly sparkling. I’ve ran into this mainly with white wines which are light and fruity (i.e. Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Vinho Verde etc) and primarily with screw-cap sealed bottles. This is due to a winemaker sometimes adding a little CO2 to keep them crisp and refreshing. In white wines this is often referred to as “petillance”.
How to tell if your wine is affected The wine has a very lightly sparking appearance and there may also be an unpleasant smell.
Your course of action If the wine is white, don’t worry about it. If it’s red, it’s a problem. Bubbles may be a sign that the wine has unintentionally began a secondary fermentation in the bottle, and is most definitely a fault. Send it back.
Click here for the rest of my —-> A Guide to Wine Faults posts.
I read this quote recently from Aldo Sohm, Sommelier at Le Bernardin and thought you might find it interesting: “A winemaker I know once did a test to see how plastic corks affect a wines flavor. He filled empty wine bottles with water, put plastic corks in them and stored them in the cellar. After 6 months, certain bottles tasted like a Barbie doll – and those were the best ones!”
