Why do so many white wines look murky these days?

−G.M., Gosford, NSW

It’s popular for winemakers to bottle their wines unfiltered these days, especially those who profess to make “natural” or unmanipulated wine. The appearance
– less attractive than brilliantly clear wine – may not be what you’re used to, but the cloudiness doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong. It just means it hasn’t been filtered, filtration being a normal process of polishing the wine just before it’s bottled.

Some winemakers believe filtration removes some of the “goodness” of wine – some of its flavour, aroma and texture. Texture (or mouth-feel) has, in recent times, become something of an obsession of winemakers. It never used to be talked about: it’s now recognised as an important part of the appeal of wine.

But not everyone agrees on this, and there are degrees of filtration: gentle filtration will harm the wine less than heavy filtration. Well-made wines that are given the time to settle naturally in a tank or barrel are less likely to need filtering for clarity.

Cloudiness is more obvious in white wines and rosés than reds because of the depth of colour, but reds are also often unfiltered these days. These tend to spend more time in barrels, though, which helps to clarify them. The particles are mostly proteins or dead yeast cells, which aren’t usually considered important to the taste.

There can be risks associated with unfiltered wines, though. An unfiltered red wine can develop off-tastes due to microbial spoilage if some bacteria or yeast cells remain.

Also, I find white wines with a lot of suspended solids not only look murky, they can also taste murky, with freshness, varietal character and fruit all clouded.

Others will prefer these wines as their cloudiness seems to indicate a more natural, less manipulated wine. Each to his or her own.

Got a drinks question for Huon Hooke? thefullbottle@goodweekend.com.au