Volatility

Volatility is a wine fault that occurs when the wine smells like vinegar or nail polish remover. This fault is caused by the presence of excessive acetic acid or ethyl acetate in the wine. Acetic acid is produced by bacteria that can grow in the wine, while ethyl acetate is formed by the reaction of acetic acid with ethanol.

Volatility is a sign of a poorly made wine or one that has been exposed to high temperatures or oxygen. It can also be caused by using contaminated equipment during the winemaking process or by using infected grapes. Volatile wines can be more common in warmer climates, where the grapes are more prone to spoilage.

To prevent volatility, winemakers need to take extra care during the winemaking process. They should monitor the temperature and humidity of the cellar to prevent bacterial growth, and they should use clean equipment to avoid contamination. Winemakers can also add sulfur dioxide to the wine to prevent spoilage.

Further Reading:

• Wine Folly: Volatile Acidity in Wine

• Wine Spectator: The Chemistry of Wine Flaws

• Wine Business Monthly: Volatile Acidity: The Basics

All courses were automatically generated using OpenAI's GPT-3. Your feedback helps us improve as we cannot manually review every course. Thank you!