They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? Well, in the world of wine there are also diamonds!
When opening a bottle of wine, the first thing you may notice are a few crystals in the glass or in the bottom of the bottle. These are called as tartrate crystals, also known as “Wine Diamonds”, which consist of Tartaric acid; the primary acid found in wine which gives us balance and elegant mouthfeel, combined with cold-tempered potassium. In other words, Wine Diamonds are a natural product of wine.
These crystals are a sign that the wine is made in naturally without over-processing. They are absolutely harmless and tasteless, if ingested.
These diamonds tend to form when the temperature of the wine is too low. However, they are more commonly seen in whites as they contain higher tartaric acid levels and also because they are refrigerated often!
Despite the fact that these diamonds will do no harm, most drinkers do not like them to be visible in their glass. To prevent them from forming, we can store our reds at around 12 °C and our whites around 7 °C, prior to serving. Note: serving temperatures are different for every type of wine.
Tip: Decanting a wine, is a way to remove these crystals.
So, if by any chance you see Wine Diamonds in your glass, don’t panic! Your wine might just be a true gem!
See you next week!
Cheers, Santé and Yiamas…
Until then.. Strike for a glass half full !
Nicole x
