When Wine Goes Bad - or Bubbly, Anyway.

I just came across an interesting and brief "ask the expert" question in The Seattle Times Food and Wine Section. The reader says that there have been a few times, when dining out, that they've ordered a bottle of red wine that bubbles on the tongue. The question, is if it was the right move to send the bottle back and also, what might be the cause of such a phenomenon.

The answer was both helpful and informative. Apparently, when it comes to red wine, bubbling is generally a sign of un-planned secondary fermentation. It probably comes from the wine being poorly corked or another similar situation. It's a mistake on the part of the vintner, and certainly more than a justifiable reason to send back a bottle of wine. Included in the answer is an interesting side note - secondary fermentation can actually be very dangerous. When it occurs, many times the cork is pushed out of the bottle from the pressure, and in an extreme scenario . . . the bottle can actually explode. Yikes, who knew drinking a moderately priced Pinot Noir could be so dangerous?