Summer classic

You may occasionally find crystals in your wine, attached either to the cork or resting on the bottom of the bottle. These tartrate crystals—found in both red and white wines—are formed by the combination of tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate, a byproduct of winemaking. For you bakers out there, cream of tartar is usually made by scraping these crystals off the bottom of wine barrels and grinding them into a powder.

It is not uncommon to find tartrates in a higher quality white wine. If a white wine is shipped during the winter months and is left on the shipping or receiving dock below 10 degrees, it can sometimes form tartrate crystals. And while these crystals are more visible in white wines, they are also quite common in red wines. They are not noticed as much, however, because of a misperception that it is more acceptable to find sediment and tartrates in red wines.

To remove these crystals, wneries use a method called cold stabilization: reduce the temperature of the wine to isolate the tartrates, then filter the wine. A simpler solution is to decant the wine slowly to separate the wine from the solid matter. And, if decanting fails, you can still make wonderful mustard from the residue of wines. (Or return the bottle to point of purchase.)

Tartrate crystals, as with most natural gifts, will not harm you if ingested.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
We are on the cusp of a new release: 2011 Pinot Gris by Karlo Estates Winery. Crafted from Waupoos-sourced fruit, this wine is made with the usual uncompromising standards of owner and winemaker Richard Karlo.

The nose is warm, with stewed pears and Long Island Iced Tea. The palate confirms the pear nose and introduces an element of quince marmalade, set on a crisp backbone of typical County acidity. The wine offers a very clean mouth-cleansing finish, which will evolve into a summer classic. Match it with summer menus or simply sip it on the deck on warm evenings.

This wine is presently being labelled and is supposed to be available for $21 over the Easter weekend.