From a rich Chardonnay to a refreshing Pinot Grigio, most supermarkets have a wide range of delicious wines to choose from.
But if you’re not a seasoned wine connoisseur, deciding which bottle to buy can be a daunting process.
Now, experts have revealed that when it comes to white or rosé wines, you should always opt for varieties that come in dark bottles.
Clear bottles let sunlight reach the wine, which can lead to a phenomenon called ‘sun strike’.
In the worst cases, this can leave your wine tasting of wet dog, boiled cabbage, and drains – no matter how much you paid for it.
Clear bottles let sunlight reach the wine, which can lead to a phenomenon called ‘sun strike’. In the worst cases, this can leave your wine tasting of wet dog, boiled cabbage, and drains – no matter how much you paid for it
Experts have revealed that when it comes to white or rosé wines, you should opt for varieties that come in dark bottles (stock image)
Wine kept in clear ‘flint glass’ bottles will almost certainly taste worse than even a cheaper wine which has been kept in a coloured bottle.
The reason is that clear glass doesn’t prevent any of the UV radiation from the sun or artificial lighting from reaching the wine.
When UV rays hit the wine they cause amino acids to react and form sulphur compounds.
These compounds are responsible for the unpleasant odour associated with many bottles of white and rosé.
In direct sunlight, this can begin to destroy the flavour of the wine in as little as 30 minutes.
‘The scale of this problem is likely far greater than any other wine taint, and yet we don’t really talk about it,’ Susie Barry, a Master of Wine, told the Times.
‘Mostly, we carry on pretending it’s not an issue while it’s effectively depriving us all of our rightful enjoyment of wine. It is daylight robbery in every sense of the term.’
Coloured bottles prevent light from reaching the wine. This light can lead to the formation of sulphur compounds which give the aroma of boiled cabbage and wet dog (stock image)
A 2022 study from the University of Trento found that bottles of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio kept in clear bottles saw a significant increase in a chemical called 4-hepten-1-ol.
‘These stinky compounds appear to be responsible for the cooked cabbage off-flavour and sometimes form in wine exposed to a source of light,’ the researchers wrote in their study, published in PNAS.
Additionally, after just a week in the sun, wine kept in clear bottles showed significant reductions in the chemicals responsible for pleasant flavours.
The wines experienced a 10-30 per cent loss of terpenes – compounds that give wines their floral and fruity notes – and a 30-70 per cent loss of norisoprenoids – compounds responsible for complex woody notes.
Meanwhile, bottles that were stored in coloured bottles saw no increase in unpleasant chemicals and maintained the pleasant flavours for 50 days.
Their analysis revealed that over the seven days, the wines experienced a 30-70 per cent loss of norisoprenoids including beta-damescenone – compounds responsible for complex woody notes
And, to make matters worse, it is the wines that are most commonly kept in clear bottles which tend to be the worst affected.
Since makers of white and rosé are often keen to show off the colour of their wine, they generally choose clear over coloured glass.
However, lighter delicate wines are more badly affected by light strike.
Chris Mercer, of the wine magazine Decanter, says: ‘Most at-risk generally [are] white wines, particularly more delicate styles, plus sparkling wines and rosé wines.’
Red wines, on the other hand, are actually better at withstanding exposure to light because they contain higher levels of polyphenols.
These compounds found in grapes take longer to break down by light and so preserve their flavour longer.
Ms Barry said: ‘What’s not good at all is putting the wine into a clear, colourless glass because that lets most light through including the most harmful kinds.
‘And, what kind of wine tends to get bottled in clear glass? The most vulnerable kinds of wine, of course.’
The experts say you can avoid some of the problems by keeping your wine in a cool, dark space away from direct sunlight.
However, some suggest that it would be better to avoid buying wine in clear bottles altogether.
Mark Driver, a winemaker and owner of Rathinny Estate in Sussex, said: ‘When you’re next reaching for a bottle of rosé, or a more delicate white like a Pinot Gris of Blanc, look for one in a dark green or amber-coloured bottle, just to be on the safe side.’