What are those little flakes at the bottom of wine glasses after you have your red wine?

Question

I drank some red wine last night and saw these little flakes at the bottom of the glass as I nearly ended my glass.

Answer 1

What you're describing is normal sediment.

The other answers above are not quite right. The sediment does not come from grape pulp or stuff added to wine during fermentation.

As a red wine matures, the tannins in the wine start to form into larger and larger molecules and polymers until they preciptate out of the liquid and form a solid sediment. This will settle against one side of the bottle and often form into a caked layer. When you open and pour the wine, this layer is disturbed and you may get the flaky pieces in your glass.

Note that even a wine that was filtered before bottling may still throw a sediment after time in the bottle.

They really only cause an esthetic nuisance. If you prefer not to have them, then carefully open your bottle, careful not to disturb the sediment too much, and then pour the wine slowly into a decanter. It's helpful to place a flashlight under the neck of the decanter or the neck of the wine bottle as you're pouring and stop as soon as you see sediment.

Cheers!

Answer 2

If they are white flakes they are tartaric acid crystals. These are naturally occurring and safe and tasteless. Tartaric acid is an important part of wines flavor and helps balance the natural sugars.

I've personally found them more commonly in white wines but that might be because they are more noticeable in whites.

Another common sediment could be cork crumbs created in uncorking. These also are harmless to swallow.

Red wines can also have sediments especially older wines. They are from the fermantation process and normally filtered out. They are safe to drink but not appetizing.

I'm assuming your glass was clean!

Answer 3

Tannin is a natural component found to varying degrees in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes; most prominent in red wines, where it creates a dry, puckering sensation in young reds of concentrated extract; mellows with aging and drops out of the wine to form sediment; a major component in the structure of red wines.

Tannins are considered desirable in wines that are meant to be aged; over time, the tannins soften and add to the complexity of a well-aged red wine. For wines you intend to drink right away, too much tannin can be harsh.

Certain foods, especially ones with a high fat content like blue cheese, can counteract the tannin in wine and make them easier to drink. The fat in the cheese coats your mouth, keeping the tannin compounds from reacting with saliva and sticking to your teeth.

Answer 4

tannin and other particles in the wine that solidify over time and drop to the bottom of the

in white wine they are crystal tartrates,because the wine has not been overly processed, and at some point the wine became too cold.

Answer 5

I would like to have a glass of wine right now

Answer 6

Most likely natural sediment. Unless the cork flaked upon opening, but you probably would have noticed that.

Answer 7

Naturally occurring sediment, more prevalent in some wines over others.

Answer 8

They are sediments from the grapes that made the wine. They are not harefull.

Answer 9

sediment from the wine, grapes and whatever else they have put into the wine. It won't hurt you.

Answer 10

Sounds interesting