CHARDONNAY SEDIMENT

[WINECRAZYJOHN]

EVEN THOUGH SEDIMENT IS COMMON WITH RED WINES, WHAT ABOUT THE CHARDONNAY, I HAVE A 1994 TURNING LEAF BOTTLE THAT WASN'T STORED UNDER THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS. ON TOP OF THE KITCHEN CABINETS WITH A LOT OF LIGHT IN THE ROOM. THE BOTTLE IS TRANSPARENT. WHAT IS THE PROABALITY THAT THE WINE IS BAD????

[Bucko]

100%....... the wine is not stellar quality even upon release. It is meant to be drank over the short term. Add heat and light to an already overaged bottle and the result is not good in all likelyhood.

Bucko

[Randy Caparoso]

Bucko, are you saying that you're 100% certain that the wine is 100% bad? Surely, you can't mean that. You must mean that you're certain that it might not be as good as it could be. With "might" being another operative term.

Were you in Hawaii when Ed Osterland MS was teaching his Grape Escape Wine School? He used to run experiments, leaving commercial premium wines out in the sun for a week or two, and comparing them to wines left inside. Generally, he found that people couldn't tell the difference, the wines were so sturdy. His buddy, Ronn Wiegand (who went on to be the first person in the world to attain both an MS and MW degree), was just as curious about the durability of wines. Besides heat trials, he used to FREEZE wines for several weeks -- sometimes it would come out just as good as a control... sometimes better! Talk about sacrilege!

But you can see what I'm getting at. Wines are a lot tougher than you often expect. I once forgot a bottle of plain Franciscan Chardonnay in the back of my damp closet, (complete with fluctuating temperatures) here in the islands. By the time I opened it, it was ten years old -- and it was knocked-down gorgeous! Who'd a'thunk?

So when it comes to wine -- ESPECIALLY high volume production wines (like Turning Leaf Chardonnay) made for the rigors of supermarket and corner liquor store treatment -- I, for one, would never say that six months on a well lit kitchen shelf would guarantee that it's worse, let alone completely bad.

CrazyJohn: Obviously, you know how a wine SHOULD be stored. But don't lose heart. Your '94 just might be better than a fresh bottle of a more recent vintage from the store. And if you're as curious as some of the more inquiring professionals I've known in my life, buy another one and see for yourself!

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 10-29-99).]

[Jerry D Mead]

Comparing the badly stored 94 with a fresh 97 or 98 (whatever's current) would be a great experiment.

I agree with Randy that wine is much more sturdy than we give it credit for...though obviously proper to ideal storage is always better/best.

The only way to ever know what you have in the bottle is to pull that cork.

[This message has been edited by Wine Curmudgeon (edited 10-29-99).]

[Thomas]

So Randy, we have a mutual friend: Eddie Osterland. When he was on the East Coast (after Hawaii) I worked with him on some of his presentations, became quite close with him and his wife Vera, and then they left for California.

Anyway, if the Turning Leaf is casting sediment, and it has been under such storage conditions the chances are it is ruined, but then again, maybe not. In any event, this is not a wine made for aging, so WINECRAZJOHN you should consider that the next time you buy it. Or maybe spend a few more dollars on something a little better.

[Bucko]

Bucko, are you saying that you're 100% certain that the wine is 100% bad?
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It is that upon release..... }:>

Bucko

[Randy Caparoso]

I catch your drift, Bucko!