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Slightly esoteric question, but what causes VA? Plainly some houses and some years are more affected.

TLW wrote:Slightly esoteric question, but what causes VA? Plainly some houses and some years are more affected.

residual sugar and oxygen in the aging process potentailly leading to yeast and bacteria creating a bit too much acetic acid.

Main causes typically are dirty wine making/facility
not enough sulfur dioxide added
not properly topping off the barrels

g-man wrote:not properly topping off the barrels

Do they top up the barrels? You would seem to say so, I suppose with the quantities made this is practical.

LGTrotter wrote:

g-man wrote:not properly topping off the barrels

Do they top up the barrels? You would seem to say so, I suppose with the quantities made this is practical.

You need to to make an unoxidated wine. The alternative is to reduce the volume with inert material e.g. marbles.

EDIT: spelling

if you don't top, you need to add sulfur and/or argon to replace the oxygen

or as mentioned, marbles =)