Wine Diamonds

WINE:
When examining a glass of wine it should be clear, never cloudy. In some white wines you may see little crystals, or sediment, in the bottom of your bottle or glass. These crystals are called Tartrates. Some are reluctant to drink wine when it looks like little pieces of glass are in the bottom of the bottle or glass. During the fermentation process, these crystals act as a preservative and help control PH levels. They are not harmful in any way!

What it is is the natural by-product of Tartaric acids and Potassium bound together and then introduced to temperatures below 50 degrees. For instance a walk-in refrigerator. A good way of imagining Tartrates is the formation of rock candy.

With commercial wineries, most treat their wines after fermentation with a process known as Cold Stabilization. The crystals naturally form in large cooled stainless steel "tanks". The Tartrates then cling to the sides of the "tanks" and the wine is then bottles without them. This is done less in Old World, or higher quality wines, as it is thought to be removing some character from the wine.

FOOD:
Tartrates share the same chemical composition of Cream of Tartar. It is an acid salt used in cooking and baking. Added to egg whites, it increases volume when beating the eggs. The Cream of Tartar is a major component in baking powder. When combined with baking soda and moistened, it aids in the rising of baked goods. It also is used with frosting's to prevent the crystallization of cooked sugars, leaving the frosting creamier.

Other interesting facts about the Cream of Tartar/Tartrates:
It is a vital ingredient in making Play-Doh, can be combined with white vinegar to make a cleaner, and is created only through the process of wine making.