Troubleshooting Your Winemaking Process
Is something off about your finished wine? Use our troubleshooting tips below to try and find out what went wrong in your winemaking process and the proper steps to correct the issue. All wines should be evaluated to ensure they are up to standard after filtering. If the product does not meet the standards, the wine should not be bottled!
Sensory Evaluation
Sight
- Is it the right colour for the style?
- Oxidation?
- Watch your wine – there are some very obvious problems, but what may seem like a wine that’s not clearing – turbidity or cloudiness could also be an indication of contamination.
Smell
- 80-90% of perceived taste is actually smell. The tongue only tells us salty, sweet, sour, bitter or umami
Taste (if all else fails)
- Sweet or dry (complete fermentation?)
- Effervescence / gassiness
- Tannin, Bitter, Acid, Mouthfeel, Weight
