For The Love Of Port

Sometimes when I pour a tawny port into a glass, I get this funny smell that reminds me of hardwater or calcium stains on glass. It is kind of a dry, dusty/musty smell. The smell often goes away after a few minutes, and I don't really taste anything too peculiar in the drink. What could this mean?

Qui coupe le fromage?

Roy, are you getting back on your French classes?

It probably means that an of flavour found its wayt in your glass. Weater it comes from its storing place, soap or tap water residues, possibilities are endless.

no, I don't think it is coming from the glass...

Alan,

Try a few experiments. Try two different glasses, one washed as you normally do, one washed as normal, then rinsed in clean cold water and immediately dried with kitchen towel.

Then try the wine in each glass and see if there is a difference.

If not, its likely to be the wine, in which case you have to try two different bottles against each other (idealy bought from different stores at different times). You might have a bottle that has a touch of bottle stink - something that I have suffered through in the past. If this is the case, its unlikely that you will get two bottles suffering in the same way.

Alex

Could it be possible that I am storing the opened but recorked bottles sideways, such that only half the cork is soaking in wine? Anyway, I will try rinsing my glasses first until I have some statistics.