Ask Sean

We get a fair amount of questions regarding wine, beer, and spirits each month. Most of the questions are repeated by other readers, which has led us to believe that these are questions that many BevX readers may have but never ask.

Each month we will address a selection of recent questions. So now that I have my answer hat on, here is our first edition of ask Sean.

Question: I hear that screw-off tops are being used on good wines. Is that true? I always thought that they were used on cheap wines.

Sean: We get a lot of questions regarding screw-top closures. To get right to your question, I will say that screw-tops are absolutely used on good to great wines. While screw-tops may not be the perfect closure (right now no one knows what that is), they provide many advantages. The most obvious advantage is the ease of opening. Another advantage is that when applied properly the screw-top ideally preserves a wine’s freshness and saves the consumer the risk of a “corked” wine. A wine that is described as being corked smells musty, dirty, and it lacks fruit. The most common cause of this is a compound called TCA (trichloroanisole), which typically develops when natural corks are washed in a chlorine solution. See our feature story on screw-cap closures.

Question: Should I be concerned about sediment in wine? Is it harmful if swallowed?

Sean: Nearly all sediment found in wine is naturally occurring and is in no way harmful. In fact, many wine pros and enthusiasts like to see a bit of sediment in their red wines, particularly wines that have been in bottle for more than five years, as this can be an indicator of a wine that has not been excessively filtered. However, few people want a mouthful of chunkies while sipping their wine. You can avoid most sediment by decanting the wine carefully leaving most of the solids in the bottle.

Question: About ten years ago my father got a bottle of 21 year-old Scotch Whisky. He never opened it and has passed it on to me. Is it still good? Is it more valuable since it’s ten years older now?

Sean: This is a common question. There often seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the age statements given on spirits. To answer your first question, yes, it’s still good and unless it has been stored under extreme heat or light it is likely no different than it was the day it was purchased. Regarding your second question, the Whisky is still 21 years-old. Age statements given on spirits labels is an indicator of time spent in wood casks. When you buy a 21 year-old Whisky you can be sure that every drop of Whisky is at least 21 years-old. Once taken from the cask and put in the bottle the clock has stopped and the aging process of the spirits has stopped as well. See Spirits FAQ for more answers.