I have tried countless wines over my 25years of expertise as a wine merchant. In choosing a Clean skin it is important that your stock is consistent and have equal or better quality and taste than a labeled wine of the same price bracket.
Of all the 100's of Clean skins I have attempted I have declined 80%, as they're defective or too pricey for the quality.
As a rule, these are the factors that I use for judging and tasting Clean skin wines:
The wine shouldn't be chemically damaged. It ought to have an intriguing taste and odour, which should be apparent as you raise the glass to the nose.
The cork must be high quality. Make sure the wine has not passed its ideal drinking age. Buy as young as practicable. While some individuals are looking out for an aged wine, I find there are many more issues with an aged Clean skin than a younger one. As a guide, white wine should be 2 "3 years old and reds, 4 -5 years. Even then the risks of issues are larger.
Be sure the cases are in good shape. If they're disintegrating possibilities are the wine has not been correctly stored, and may affect the standard of the wine. If the boxes are faded on one side they may have been stored close to the sunlight or in a hot shed that may have cooked the wine.
The wine must have body and flavor. I have tasted wine, which tasted like water and alcohol. The wine must be better than a close-labeled product of the same value. For example, lets imagine I am tasting a Clean skin Chardonnay for $10.00. I'd compare it to a Deakin Chardonnay for a similar price. If the Clean skin weren't markedly better than the Deakin, I wouldn't get it.
With little regard for how the good the wine tastes initially, you've got to like it till the last drop. When I Am testing a wine I will drink it over 2 "3 days. Only to find out how it holds up with a hint of air. If the wine falls apart after a day I will not get it as it may deteriorate in the bottle after 6 months.
Eventually, always buy from a source you can trust. There are lots of fly by night sellers in the market. Keep it simple and always taste before you buy. Always open a bottle, drink half and leave the rest for the next day. If it tastes nice you have a winner. If it has lost it's flavour then it's likely to have a really short storability.
I hope this guide is of help to you. I've used this formula for 25 years and it has never let me down.
About the Author:
The writer Jack Simic has been in the spirits and wine industry for 30 years and saw a massive amount of cleanskinsaround as well as operating his own wine store.