If a wine smells like nail polish, what is the flaw?

If a wine smells like nail polish, what is the flaw?

• A. Volatile acidity
• B. Brettanomyces
• C. Oxidation
• D. Acetic acid

Answer: (A)

A nail-polish smell in wine signals a volatile acidity fault. This fault comes from acetic acid bacteria converting ethanol into acetic acid, and the related ester ethyl acetate adds a solvent-like, nail-polish-remover note. At low levels, some aroma compounds are acceptable, but when volatile acidity is elevated, the wine acquires a sharp, solvent-like scent that dominates the aroma. This is distinct from Brettanomyces, which gives barnyard or medicinal notes; oxidation, which brings sherry-like or cardboard aromas; and plain acetic acid, which is the acid component behind VA but doesn’t by itself describe the full aroma profile as volatility does.

A nail-polish smell in wine signals a volatile acidity fault. This fault comes from acetic acid bacteria converting ethanol into acetic acid, and the related ester ethyl acetate adds a solvent-like, nail-polish-remover note. At low levels, some aroma compounds are acceptable, but when volatile acidity is elevated, the wine acquires a sharp, solvent-like scent that dominates the aroma. This is distinct from Brettanomyces, which gives barnyard or medicinal notes; oxidation, which brings sherry-like or cardboard aromas; and plain acetic acid, which is the acid component behind VA but doesn’t by itself describe the full aroma profile as volatility does.