Bottle of Wine contained something else!

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BOXtheFOX

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I opened an Australian bottle of wine last night to discover that the contents looked like cloudy water. It was a wine that I was not familiar with. I foolishly took a mouthful and it was obvious that this was not wine but some type of watery, slightly salty vile tasting fluid. Looking at the bottle through the light it appeared to have lots of floating particles and some sort of sediment in the bottle. It has left a nasty taste on my mouth. What the hell is it? Could it contain any harmful bacteria?

I contacted the winery and I have received an email back saying that they would like to take the bottle plus contents away for analysis?
 
It's maybe worth googling the brand and year to see if anything else has been reported. Maybe being over cautious, but a visit to the doctor wouldn't go amiss.

It may of course just be a badly 'corked' specimen I suppose - white I take it?
 
some wines turn bad (taste like vinegar with separated ingredients like your describe) if they are not being stored properly. You should return the bottle as instructed
 
It might be worth keeping some before sending it away. That way, you'll be able to get it analysed yourself if you want.
 
Agree 100% with Seagull. Keep a sample. Pour some into a sterilised container, screw the cap tight and keep it in your fridge, or at least someplace constantly cool. If you're not satisfied with their results then you can check it out yourself. Corked wine usualy tastes like rank vinegar... not so sure about the watery/salty taste you describe.

If there were any harmful bacteria in it, you would know all about it by now, so you can probably relax on that front!
 
No this wasn't wine that had gone off nor corked wine. This was another substance completely. My first thought was that this was a bottle of the wash that is used to clean the pipes. Is this possible?
 
Is there anywhere in Dublin where I might get the contents analysed? Would it be expensive?
 
BOXtheFOX said:
Is there anywhere in Dublin where I might get the contents analysed? Would it be expensive?
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Don't see where you are trying to get by getting it analysed?

Rather go and buy an other bottle of wine and enjoy it.
 
Not sure, but maybe try UCD or similar. Science Dept might use it as a lab project for students? If they're up for it, you'll get it done for free.
If not, they'll surely know where you can send it for professional analysis.
As for cost... I had a well-water sample tested recently for pH, coliform, Manganese, Iron and hardness which cost €80, but I'd imagine the kind of analysis you'd need in your case could cost a lot more.
 
bacchus said:
Don't see where you are trying to get by getting it analysed?

Rather go and buy an other bottle of wine and enjoy it.
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I would get it analysed immediately. When you buy a bottle of wine, you expect just that-wine!
I would be raging if I got the contents mentioned above!
 
This is the initial email response from the company.

"The lot number is from a production of XXXXXXXX Merlot Cabernet 04 done on the 31.5.05. There have been no other similar complaints from this production.

We have had a look at the bottling records detailed below, and it does not help us identify the substance.

The offending bottle has a lot number from 9:56; this is in the middle of the bottling run.
The run began at 8:02, a winemaker tasted the wine from the bottling line before starting to ensure that the wine was sound at 7:54 and taste and analysis were correct at that time.
We did production analysis on a bottle of wine at 9:57, which was also normal.
This wine carried on bottling all day with routine periodic checking and finished at 16:02, there were no abnormal circumstances noted in the course of production.

In order to investigate further we will need a portion of the substance in the bottle - if Mr XXX would like to keep some as he suggests, then I would recommend that we advise that he buys a small mineral water bottle, tips it out, then transfers some of the offending liquid to the clean bottle, tapes the lid to ensure no leaks and sends it this way. We would also like to see the cork."
 
remey said:
I would get it analysed immediately. When you buy a bottle of wine, you expect just that-wine!
I would be raging if I got the contents mentioned above!
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OK, so let assume you get it analysed at a cost of at least €80 as mentionned in a previous post. Then you get the results.
What do you do next?
 
Sounds like the wine company/seller is trying to investigate it in good faith. Do what they ask and send on a sample, and await their next response. I'd be surprised if they don't try and compensate you with some freebies at least. Good PR an dcustomer relations, etc. Don't forget, the wine MAY have been perfectly OK when it left the supplier; it may have been tampered with AFTER they delivered it! Perhaps some idiot planted it in the shop for a laugh when nobody was looking?
 
I couldn't help thinking about your original post last night when I was opening a bottle. If it was a Merlot Cabernet, it should be a deep dark red colour. When it wasn't, and it looked like you described, why on earth did you put it anywhere near your mouth, let alone taste it?
 
I have often had white wine that tasted like something you would clean out pipes with/paint stripper. More to do with bad choice of plonky wine than anything wrong though.
 
oopsbuddy said:
I couldn't help thinking about your original post last night when I was opening a bottle. If it was a Merlot Cabernet, it should be a deep dark red colour. When it wasn't, and it looked like you described, why on earth did you put it anywhere near your mouth, let alone taste it?
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Yes I agree. I thought I had picked up a bottle of white. What annoys me is that when it didn't even look like white wine I still decided to taste it! A bit like touching paint when there is a "Wet Paint" sign to see if it is wet. Anyhow I am sending off a sample of the wine to the company to be analysed.
 
Complainer said:
Might be worth contacting the FSAI.
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With the aim of achieving what? It's clear to me from the reply that the company in question is being very thorough and taking the problem serious and are still following up on the issue.

In any case it's been 7 days since ingesting the liquid. I think you got away with it.
 
There could have been a residue from a CIP (clean in place) system - which typically uses an alkali solution in conjunction with cold and hot demin water flushes, to clean the filling machine at the bottling plant, after or in between production runs. - my guess is that it related to a particular head on the bottling line - in which case there would be similar complaints received. They would generally be able ot differentiate bogus claims from genuine ones - I recommend that you send them a sample - they may well send you a case of reserve in return for your help.
 
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