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From a rich Chardonnay to a refreshing Pinot Grigio, most supermarkets have a wide range of delicious wines to choose from.
But if you’re not a wine expert, deciding which bottle to buy can be a daunting process.
Now, experts have revealed that when it comes to white or rosé wines, you should always opt for varieties that come in a dark bottle.
Clear bottles allow sunlight to reach the wine, which can cause a phenomenon called “sunstroke.”
At worst, this can leave your wine tasting like wet dog, boiled cabbage, and drains, no matter how much you paid for it.
Clear bottles allow sunlight to reach the wine, which can cause a phenomenon called “sunstroke.” At worst, this can leave your wine tasting like wet dog, boiled cabbage, and drains, no matter how much you paid for it.
Experts have revealed that when it comes to white or rosé wines, you should opt for varieties that come in dark bottles (file image)
Wine kept in clear “stone glass” bottles will almost certainly taste worse than even a cheaper wine kept in a colored bottle.
The reason is that clear glass does not prevent ultraviolet radiation from the sun or artificial lighting from reaching the wine.
When ultraviolet rays hit wine, they cause amino acids to react and form sulfur compounds.
These compounds are responsible for the unpleasant odor associated with many bottles of white and rosé wine.
Under direct sunlight, this can begin to destroy the flavor of the wine in as little as 30 minutes.
“The magnitude of this problem is probably much greater than any other type of wine contamination, and yet we don’t really talk about it,” said Susie Barry, Master of Wine. he told the Times.
‘In general, we continue to pretend that it is not a problem while in reality it deprives us all of our rightful enjoyment of wine. It is daylight robbery in every sense of the term.
Colored bottles prevent light from reaching the wine. This light can cause the formation of sulfur compounds that give off the aroma of boiled cabbage and wet dog (file image)
A 2022 study from the University of Trento found that bottles of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio kept in clear bottles experienced a significant increase in a chemical called 4-hepten-1-ol.
“These malodorous compounds appear to be responsible for the bad taste of cooked cabbage and sometimes form in wine exposed to a light source,” the researchers wrote in their study. published in PNAS.
Additionally, after just a week in the sun, wine kept in clear bottles showed significant reductions in the chemicals responsible for pleasant flavors.
The wines experienced a loss of between 10 and 30 percent of terpenes (compounds that give wines their floral and fruity notes) and a loss of between 30 and 70 percent of norisoprenoids (compounds responsible for the complex notes). woody).
Meanwhile, bottles that were stored in colored bottles saw no increase in unpleasant chemicals and maintained pleasant flavors for 50 days.
Their analysis revealed that over the seven days, the wines experienced a 30 to 70 percent loss of norisoprenoids, including beta-damescenone, compounds responsible for the complex woody notes.
And, to make matters worse, it is the wines most commonly kept in clear bottles that tend to be the most affected.
Since white and rosé wine producers are typically interested in highlighting the color of their wine, they typically choose clear glass rather than colored.
However, lighter and more delicate wines are more affected by light.
Chris Mercer of wine magazine Decanter says: “Those most at risk are generally white wines, particularly the more delicate styles, as well as sparkling and rosé wines.”
Red wines, on the other hand, hold up better to light exposure because they contain higher levels of polyphenols.
These compounds found in grapes take longer to break down in light and therefore retain their flavor longer.
Barry said: “What is not good at all is putting wine in a clear, colorless glass because that lets in most of the light, including the most harmful.”
‘And what type of wine is usually bottled in clear glass? The most vulnerable types of wine, of course.
Experts say you can avoid some of the problems by keeping the wine in a cool, dark space, away from direct sunlight.
However, some suggest that it would be best to avoid buying wine in clear bottles altogether.
Mark Driver, winemaker and owner of Rathinny Estate in Sussex, said: “Next time you’re looking for a bottle of rosé or a more delicate white like a Pinot Gris of Blanc, look for one in a dark green or amber colour.” colored bottle, just to be sure.