For wine enthusiasts, spoilage of drinks can break their hearts. They would never think about it even in their dreams. This is why most of them contact a reliable wine cellar builder to construct a dedicated storage unit for preserving their dream collection.
Do you find your red wines turn brown? Alas! Something is affecting your drinks very badly. However, this could even be a sign of wine aging that enhances their taste. Would you like to identify whether it is a problem or not? This guide will come in handy for you.
Reports suggest that 80% – 90% of the wine aging process goes wrong due to inadequate preservation. Let’s discuss the causes of red wine browning to help you prevent the same in your case and help you proceed with the ideal aging process of your collection.
Causes of Red Wine Browning
i) Exposure to oxygen or air is the primary cause of quick browning of red wines. If it remains for a long period of time, more pigmentation will come in contact with air. It may even turn dark in the upcoming days.
ii) Since these drinks are made from fermented grape juice blended with grape skins, it has natural antioxidants. Oxygen breaks down the molecules in this fruit to turn them brown in colour and reduces the taste gradually.
iii) Another reason could be direct exposure to high-intensity lights whether artificial or sunlight. It is going to heat the drink and break down its molecules. In the due course of time, you can observe the brown colour.
The Prevention of Red Wine Browning
As you are now aware of the causes of browning of red wines in a short time, it is time to learn about the prevention methods. It is crucial for eliminating this issue in your case. Let’s find out-
i) Suppose you leave the leftover bottles open, it will come in contact with air. You are suggested to re-cork them tightly to avoid this issue. Although you won’t achieve the original packaging style, there will be a little risk now.
ii) Always keep your collection in a dark and cool place after receiving a delivery. In short, you are asked to store your collection away from direct sources of high-intensity lights once you get their delivery at home or you have leftovers in hand.
iii) The perfect solution would be to store new bottles directly inside the cellar. For leftovers, you can consider a separate rack and store them. Be sure that you place each bottle horizontally on racks to prevent the dryness of cork and its breakage. In this way, you can get rid of air passage through the cracks.
What to Do with Already Tainted Red Wines?
For already tainted drinks, the most suitable solution is to take a sip and identify the severity of change in their taste. If it is feasible to consume them, you can finish the bottles along with your family and friends without any delay.
In case you have multiple bottles of similar drinks, keep the remaining ones back on racks by identifying the causes. Suppose the cork is broken, you can replace and re-cork the bottle before storage. Also, make sure that you fix some dates with your friends for wine parties and finish them from time to time to avoid wastage of your hard-earned money.
Did you know? There is a possibility that brownish wines are not consumable. So, you have to discard them immediately because you won’t get them back in their original condition again.
Be a Good Wine Collector Now!
It is unfortunate for people to consume red wines that turn brown in colour. People, who are still in the process of constructing a dedicated room for preserving drinks, must consult with a professional wine cellar builder to get some practical ideas. They can follow the same once they begin collecting bottles to preserve their favourite drinks as they dream of.
So, it is good to know that red wines could spoil and there is a possibility of preventing the same to taste aged drinks. Take your step very wisely and become a good wine collector!