| What are those little things in my bottle of wine | | | | have a chance to decant it? Here's your |
| that look like tiny stones, crystals or even | | | | opportunity to shine (but don't show off), say the |
| diamonds? The short answer is potassium | | | | stones have formed because the wine was made |
| bi-tartrate (KC4H5O6) or better known to the | | | | from ripe grapes, picked at the peak of their |
| cooks in the house as Cream of Tartar. No | | | | flavor and that the fermentation process was |
| kidding, cream of tartar is made from the | | | | done with care i.e., longer and slower. You can also |
| sediments of grape production by partially | | | | impress by saying the wine clearly has a high |
| neutralizing tartaric acid with potassium hydroxide. | | | | degree of "Weinsaure" (tartaric acid) and |
| It is normally used to give more volume to and | | | | minerality to be able create Weinstein (wine |
| help stabilize beaten egg whites. Hence, you are | | | | stones). It is partly because of this acidity that |
| likely to find it in bakery products or maybe your | | | | the wine will taste fresh and have a longer life in |
| dessert, especially the frosting. In a pinch it can | | | | the bottle. |
| also be used to clean brass and copper cookware. | | | | You could go over the top and say that most |
| So now you know what they are but, is the wine | | | | inferior wines undergo cold stabilization, a process |
| good to serve? Has Aunt Sue given you another | | | | by which a wine is cooled down before it is |
| bottle of bad cheap wine? The short answer is no. | | | | bottled and the white flakes, "crystallized tartaric |
| The wine is fine and all you have to do is "decant" | | | | acid", are filtered out. But, as you might have |
| or avoid pouring the crystals into your guests' | | | | guessed, this unnecessary process strips out |
| glasses and everything will be fine. | | | | some of the flavor and balance of the wine. So, |
| What if some crunchies do make into the glass or | | | | you can eat the crunchies! Best of all you are |
| what if my guest picks up the bottle before I | | | | probably drinking a great wine! Salute! |