Like many others we’ve always said, “Life is too short to drink bad wine”! That being said, is there a way to rescue a bad wine? The answer is yes!

Like many others we’ve always said, “Life is too short to drink bad wine”! That being said, is there a way to rescue a bad wine? The answer is yes if you’re willing to be somewhat adventurous, it’s the only bottle of wine you’ve got or you’ve spent so much money on it you are determined to drink it no matter what. We’re not talking about wine you don’t happen to like, we’re talking about wines that are flawed. Flawed or defective wines come mainly in five varieties namely: corked, reduced, cooked, flat, and fizzy.

“OH NO THE WINE IS CORKED” she opined as you deftly claim the glass as your own. One whiff and memories of bad gym socks and wet dogs confirms the diagnosis. But, our hero has a Zip-Loc bag or perhaps some Saran wrap that can save the day. Place either one of these in the bottle, gently swirl and wait a minute or two and you may now have wine that can be enjoyed by all. Frankly, we’re not sure how it works but it has something to do with polymers absorbing the smelly agent.

“What do you think of the wine?”, you exclaim as glasses are raised? Rotten Eggs with Garlic and Onion is the common refrain. How can this be the wine had a screw-top and it was pricey to boot? Well friends, this wine is reduced i.e., it didn’t get exposed to enough oxygen and now is exhibiting its frustration by letting go of some sulphur compounds. Once again with the sleight of hand exhibited by the finest magician’s you reach into your pocket and place a copper penny in each glass, demonstrating to all how to properly swirl wine and viola the wine is now palatable. Sometimes, air and time work in these cases as well.

Now, let’s look at the last three problems and some solutions that may save the day. Cooked (Maderized) wine will take on a burnt nuttiness or be reminiscent of bad fruit cake. You may also notice that the cork is pushed out when you painfully discover that the trunk of your car was not air conditioned. Flat (Oxidized) wine takes on a dull brown color and vinegar will come to mind, It is symptomatic of too much air thru the cork or maybe sitting around open for a week or so. Fizzy (refermented) wine is where some residual yeasts wake up and begin to make CO2 and alcohol once again. This is great for champagne but may not be what you want in a Syrah.

This is your chance to be a mixologist and pray that you have some lemons or lemonade available. If the wine isn’t too bad, try a squeeze of lemon and perhaps some ice. Otherwise we recommend a 50/50 mixture of wine to lemonade (any brand is fine), shaken with crushed ice and garnish with lemon/orange slice.

So there you have it, always have available some fresh lemons and several pennies in a plastic storage bag as a wine first aid kit or you could just open up another bottle.