Red Flight, Volatile Acidity, and a Guest Who Says Corked
A sommelier leads a blind red-flight seminar for staff. Four wines are served at 18°C in Bordeaux glasses. Wine 1 is pale ruby with a garnet rim; aromas of sour cherry, dried rose, tar, and a distinct nail-polish-remover note; tannin is firm and drying. Wine 2 is deep purple with blackberry, black pepper, and liquorice; alcohol is high and the finish is hot. Wine 3 is medium garnet with forest floor, mushroom, soy, and dried cranberry; tannin is resolved and acidity is medium. Wine 4 is deep ruby with blackcurrant, green bell pepper, and high acidity; tannin is moderate. The room is 24°C and the wines were opened two hours earlier. One guest says wine 1 is 'corked'.
1. Diagnose the fault in Wine 1 and explain why it is not TCA. Is it a fault or a stylistic signature?
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Wine 1 shows ethyl acetate/volatile acidity rather than TCA. TCA smells of damp cardboard, musty newspaper, and stripped fruit and suppresses aromatics at very low thresholds; it does not smell of nail-polish remover. VA is caused by acetic acid bacteria and can be a stylistic signature in traditional wines, but at a distinct nail-polish level with drying tannin it is a fault for service. I would check a second sample from the same bottle and not simply agree that it is 'corked'; I would explain the difference and replace it if the fault is confirmed.
2. Deduce grape variety and likely climate for wines 3 and 4, and explain the role of the 18°C service temperature.
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Wine 3's forest floor, mushroom, soy, dried cranberry, resolved tannin, and medium acidity suggest an aged cool-climate Pinot Noir, likely Burgundy. Wine 4's blackcurrant, green bell pepper, high acidity, and moderate tannin suggest Cabernet Sauvignon from a cool site where pyrazines survive ripening. The 18°C service temperature is correct for reds, but the 24°C room will warm the glasses quickly, exaggerating alcohol and masking fruit; I would keep the bottles in an ice-water bath at 16°C and pour smaller measures.
3. Recommend a service order and specific handling for the flight, including the guest who called Wine 1 corked.
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I would serve in ascending weight: Wine 3 first, then Wine 1, Wine 4, and Wine 2. Wine 1 needs a careful check: if VA is confirmed, replace it rather than serve it. For the guest who called it corked, I would say: 'I understand why you would think that; this is volatile acidity, not TCA. I am replacing it and would like your opinion on the replacement.' I would keep the room temperature down, pour 50 ml tastes, and provide water and spittoons.