Sediment in wine - is it good or bad? How to choose a good wine? Natural Wine

Wine is a product obtained as a result of fermentation of ordinary grape juice. So say winemakers and enologists. Historians consider it one of the oldest beverages in the history of mankind. The ability to make wine is one of the earliest acquisitions of the ancients. When the juice, extracted from the grapes, wandered in the pitcher many thousands of years ago, it was the beginning of the era of winemaking.

Today, the admirers of this drink have a few million around the world. Among the largest producer countries are France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, America, Australia and Chile. Each of them has developed its own unique style of wine, which is a kind of business card on the international arena.

So, France offers exquisite red and white wine with a delicate taste. The soft and delicate taste of white semisweet wines from Germany is not confused with anything. In Spain, the best strong drinks: sherry, Madeira, port. Australia is famous for the variety of Syrah grapes, from which they receive a fine drink with a bright taste of fruits and spices. Italy is loved for its unique Chianti and Valpolicella. An excellent fruit and berry Sauvignon Blanc is brought from New Zealand.

Originality of taste and quality of a bouquet of different types of wines are caused by a variety of natural factors and features of production technologies. The wine is divided into groups of brands and types and differs not only in name and taste, but in qualitative features and chemical composition.

What is a "tartar"?

Wine crystals are called crystals from the salts of tartaric acid, which are formed in wine. In their composition - two thirds of potassium bitartrate and one third of calcium tartrate. The ratio of these components affects the appearance of the precipitate. The predominance of calcium leads to the formation of shiny crystals with a smooth surface, no larger than three millimeters. Potassium gives large dense flakes without gloss.

The precipitation of salts in the precipitate in wine is directly related to the storage conditions. Decrease in temperature provokes the precipitation of potassium bitartrate, and warm storage leads to the formation of calcium tartrate. Stones can differ and form. Dry red and white wine has needle crystals in the form of prisms, dessert - in the form of scales, smaller and more uniform.

In old collectible wines there is often a deposit of small crystals - it is calcium oxalate. In this case, the sediment in the wine takes an uncharacteristic form. The reason - the inclusion of additional components in the chemical composition of the drink.

Botritized wines (dessert and semi-sweet) in large quantities contain mucinic and organic acid. They are isolated by mold fungus Botrytis cinerea. In this case, insoluble calcium salts are often formed in wine, and the tartar stone resembles semolina of light yellow color.

Sediment in wine, regardless of chemical composition and color, is absolutely harmless. He has neither taste nor smell. Natural, non-toxic. He does not in any way spoil the quality of the wine.

Unfortunately, tartar is often perceived by the consumer as a defect. In order not to spoil the reputation and improve the quality of sales, manufacturers use the method of wine stabilization: they stimulate the process of sludge formation before bottling. The wine is kept chilled to a temperature just above zero within 7-21 days, and then filtered from unnecessary impurities.

The main disadvantage of this procedure is that the drink loses most of its unique flavor. Therefore, the sediment confirms that before you a natural wine of high quality.

How to save wine and not spoil the taste?

Ready products from barrels or vats are bottled, in which it can be stored for more than one year. The drink continues to change its physical characteristics, "ripen". During this period storage conditions are very important: constant temperature and humidity, darkness in the room, position of bottles. The ideal place is a deep cellar with good air circulation. When storing glass containers horizontally, the wine comes into contact with the stopper, which helps the wine to "breathe" - thus avoiding the drying of the crust and oxidation of the wine.

With prolonged storage, natural wine only improves its quality. But there are certain rules.

The temperature should be low and constant. Sunlight, heat and shaking are unacceptable.

The wine "breathes" through the cork and absorbs foreign odors, so it is very important good air circulation.

With prolonged storage, a precipitate is formed in the wine and the so-called "shirt" - a layer of coloring substances that settle on the walls from the inside. This is a natural process, the quality of the wine does not deteriorate from this. Many varieties of wines from long exposure only benefit. This wine should not be shaken. A few days before the tasting, the bottle is carefully moved vertically, the wine stone sinks to the bottom, it remains only to gently spill the wine into the glasses.

Storing red wine

Optimum is considered a low temperature, about +10, +14 degrees. For strong dessert wines, a slight increase to +16 is permissible. Saturated red shades are perfectly preserved at room temperature. But if the room is too hot, the wine will begin to ripen much faster and lose its quality. Also hurting him and the sudden change of temperatures, dry air, air conditioning and central heating, bright lighting and foreign smells, which easily penetrate the cork. Too cold air makes the wine sour, too hot can confuse the flavors, change the bouquet and spoil the quality of the drink.

The statement that the wine is perfectly preserved in the cold is erroneous. Very cold air makes the cork hard, deprives it of elasticity and tightness, air attacks the wine, and the drink quickly spoils.

Which cork is better?

Many believe that the screw cap is a sign of cheap and low-quality wine, and cortical - a sign of premium-class. Not certainly in that way. The cover "screw" is more practical, it is easy to remove, for example during a picnic. And in some cases it is more hygienic. Often in the absence of a corkscrew, many push the cork inside the bottle. Together with the crust, the bacteria enter the wine, which are located on the outside of the cork.

How to choose a good wine

In order to choose a quality drink, it is necessary to take into account many factors on which the taste and properties of wine depend. Among them are spring frosts, summer drought, floods, grapevine diseases, and much more. You can not be guided only by the name of the trademark or the producing country. Very often, wine, collected in one region at the same time, is different in quality and composition. In this case, the information from the Milesim table is more important. Here the wine rating is determined and the most favorable harvest dates in different regions are indicated.

When buying, avoid loud names and too smart labels. If you do not want unpleasant surprises, buy wine of proven brands. Not all products that are advertised are of high quality. First of all, this is a marketing move to attract buyers. Feedback from real users will help shape the view and avoid unnecessary waste. Pay attention to the price. Choose in the middle range. Do not rush to too expensive: often in their cost is laid a high tax on alcohol, which does not improve the quality of the drink.

And one more secret. In every country producing wine, there is at least one stellar example of winemaking, which demonstrates the skill in using native fruits. Just as it is impossible to find the best in the world Italian pizza in Germany or Mexican enchiladas in the UK, and the wine produced in South Africa can not accurately convey the character and sophistication of the aroma of French wines. To each his own, as they say.

For yourself, you can remember the following: France perfectly combines red wine aged. If you prefer dry white wines, pay attention to Portugal and Alsace. Excellent pink produce in California, good fruit red - from Australia and Chile, for sweet and dry wines go to central Europe, and from the light red there is nothing more beautiful than Italian.

Trust but check

Some unscrupulous producers, in order to save and speed up the process of wine production, change its chemical composition, use non-natural ingredients, which affects not only the taste of the drink, but also our state of health. There are a few simple secrets about how to detect a fake.

1. The presence of a tartar confirms the naturalness of the wine, indicating that the drink was obtained naturally.
2. A little red wine can be dripped in a saucer with baking soda. From natural it turns blue or becomes gray, from the surrogate the red color does not change.
3. A little wine can be left open in a glass. To fly to the natural midge, and after a time on the surface will appear mold.
4. The addition of glycerol also helps to identify chemical dyes. If it sank to the bottom and did not paint, the wine is natural. If the color has changed, boldly pour out: you bought a fake.

Well, the main rule: to truly assess the quality of the drink can only be after tasting. Natural wine should not be intoxicated after the first sips. From such a drink you get pleasure and pleasant memories. Surrogates are poor in flavors, they do not have aftertaste. Do not forget about the price - a good wine can not be cheap.

That's all for today. Have a nice weekend and only quality drinks!