Wine Faults & Taints – Identification, Prevention & Mitigation

This interactive workshop provides participants with an in-depth understanding of wine-related faults and taints, including how to identify, describe, prevent, and mitigate them.

Delivered by experienced industry experts, the day combines presentations, interactive discussions, and hands-on aromatic assessments using real wines to help participants strengthen their sensory evaluation skills and technical understanding.

This workshop is ideal for professionals involved in winemaking, quality control, and wine evaluation, including: Winemakers and assistant winemakers; Cellar hands and production staff; Viticulturists and vineyard managers; Oenologists; Laboratory technicians and wine chemists; Technical and quality assurance managers; Wine buyers and importers; Sensory panel members; Students and trainees in oenology or viticulture.

Workshop is due to run from approx 1000 - 1630 hours. Lunch is provided.  A free shuttlebus service is available between Guildford and the Surrey Research Park for those wishing to travel by train. 

Through real-world examples, sensory analysis, and group discussions, this workshop covers the identification, recognition, and description of the following wine faults and taints:

• Oxidative faults
       - Acetaldehyde; Browning; Volatile acidity; Ethyl acetate
• Reductive Faults
       - Sulphides; Mercaptans / Thiols; Disulfides; Thioacetates
• Light strike
• Additive-related faults
       - Molecular sulphur dioxide
• Microbial spoilage faults
       - Refermentation; Geranium; Mannitol; Brettanomyces; Mousiness
• Indole
• Visual faults
       - Tartrate instability; Protein stability
• Haloanisoles
       - 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA); 2,4,6-Tribromoanisole (TBA)
• Halophenols
       - 2,4-Dichlorophenol; 2,6-Dichlorophenol; 2-Chloro-6-methylphenol
• Geosmin
• Smoke Taint
       - Volatile phenols; Phenolic glycosides
• Ladybug Taint
• Eucalyptol

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Detect, recognise, and describe key wine taints and faults.
• Troubleshoot and understand root causes of major wine defects.
• Implement management strategies to prevent and mitigate these issues effectively.