Imagine ordering a glass of a light, crisp fruity Sauvignon Blanc expecting the glass to look like the one on the left side of the photo. But, instead you are served a golden-brown glass of wine like the one on the right. You will have been given your first clue. Then you lift your glass to take a sip but even before you do you get a whiff of a nutty aroma. That’s your second clue. But, you go ahead and take a sip and it tastes more like a sherry than a Sauvignon Blanc. You’ve gotten your final clue.

This wine has gone bad. The color, aroma and taste are dead giveaways of an oxidized wine.

Much like an apple or a banana will turn brown if exposed to air, so too will a wine.

Is an oxidized wine drinkable? Well, yes. It won’t hurt you or make you sick. And, if you are a sherry lover, you’ll probably like an oxidized wine. But you won’t get to enjoy the bright, crisp fresh fruit flavors that a Sauvignon Blanc, or most any white wine, should have.

Oxidation is just one of several wine faults that can occur in a ‘sealed’ bottle of wine. And, it can happen to both white and red wines. So, next time we’ll get into the various ways that wines can go bad and how to detect them. Until then, here’s to drinking good wine! Cheers!