Wine fault
Volatile acidity (VA)
Vinegar and nail-polish notes, produced by acetic acid bacteria. A small amount adds lift; too much is a clear fault.
What you notice
Smell
- Smells sharply of vinegar
- Smells of nail polish remover, solvent or pear drops
Taste
- Tastes aggressively sour beyond normal acidity
What it is
All wine contains some volatile acidity, and a small amount contributes aromatic lift and complexity. Several celebrated wines run noticeably high in VA, and admirers regard it as part of their character.
The two compounds do different things: acetic acid smells of vinegar, ethyl acetate of nail polish and solvent. Ethyl acetate is generally the more objectionable of the two.
Where VA becomes a fault is a genuine matter of degree and of taste, and WineHQ does not pretend there is a sharp line. What is not in dispute is that a wine smelling emphatically of nail polish has gone wrong.
Legal limits on volatile acidity exist in most jurisdictions, which is a useful reminder that this is a recognised defect and not merely a preference.
What causes it
- Acetic acid bacteria converting ethanol to acetic acid in the presence of oxygen.
- Poor cellar hygiene, or barrels left insufficiently topped up.
- Damaged or rotten fruit at harvest.
- An opened bottle left exposed to air for a long period.
Can I fix it?
No — nothing will fix it
No. The acetic acid stays in the glass.
What you can do
- It cannot be reversed at home.
- Very high VA in a recently opened young wine is a fault worth returning.
- If you left the bottle open for days, this is simply what happens.
What does not work
Published because a reader holding a spoiled bottle has usually already been told to try one of these. Correcting the specific wrong advice is more use than stating the right answer beside it in silence.
- Decanting
- Drives off a little of the ethyl acetate, which is the solvent note, and leaves the acetic acid entirely. The wine smells marginally less of nail varnish and still tastes sour.
- Adding sugar or something sweet
- Sweetness suppresses the perception of acidity, which is why the trick is suggested. It changes what you are drinking rather than fixing it.
Is it safe to drink?
Harmless in itself — check the rest
This on its own is not a health concern, but it is worth checking for the other signs described below before pouring.
Yes. Wine turning towards vinegar is unpleasant, not dangerous.
Volatile acidity itself is not a reason to pour a bottle away. A bottle that has been open for weeks, has a visible film or fuzz on the surface, or smells actively putrid rather than vinegary is a different matter — that is spoilage rather than a wine fault, and it should go down the sink.
Can I take it back?
If a freshly opened bottle smells strongly of vinegar or solvent, yes.
Sources
Sources consulted
- The Australian Wine Research Institute — AWRI
- Wine flavours, faults and taints — The Australian Wine Research Institute
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