A couple months back we received an e-mail at Cafe le Grand from a valued customer and wine club member regarding a wine experience they had while entertaining guests… it went something like this:
I opened a bottle last night that I received with my monthly selection. This particular bottle was a wonderful wine, however, the last glass poured had huge chunks of sediment in it. Would not normally have been a big deal, but we had dinner guests over and after boosting your shop this was not a good impression.
In responding I took the opportunity to educate our customer on sediment… and since then have decided it’s probably a lesson to be taught to all of our wine loving friends. My response went something like this:
Thank you for speaking highly of Cafe le Grand, word of mouth is the best advertising and we thank all of our loyal customers and wine club members for talking us up!
Unfortunately, you mistakenly got a poor impression from the sediment in the wine – when in fact, if any impression is to be had, it is likely a positive one for steadfast wine making and proper storage. Sediment in wine is a completely natural thing and occurs in many wines- including (and perhaps most frequently) some of the finest, most expensive wines in the world. Other than being a little bitter and requiring a rinse of your glass prior to the next, sediment is completely harmless. The causes range from simple precipitated matter (tannin & pigment) settling out of an unfiltered/unfined (or less filtered/fined) wine, to the precipitation of tartaric acid (which is often observed as crystalline matter on the cork and the neck of the bottle). Some wineries take greater measures to remove such material so it can’t become sediment, while others consider the efforts to remove them too harsh on the wine and believe that such matter will add to the ageability and complexity of the wine. According to the Wine Lover’s Companion “Sediment is not a bad sign but in fact may indicate superior wine. It is the natural separation of bitrates, tannins and color pigments that occurs as a wine ages.”
To avoid getting sediment in your glass it’s recommended to simply, and properly, decant the wine – perhaps by pouring it through a fine strainer made for just such a purpose. Decanting wine is also a great way to allow wines to open up more quickly – where they become more expressive sooner, and can also be an elegant way to serve wines as well. An attractive decanter with a gourgeous colored wine is as good as any centerpiece – better in that you can drink it!
I encourage you to drop notes to us with your wine questions and suggest that you and your guests come to the wine tastings at Cafe le Grand and also attend sessions of Cafe le Grand’s Winoversity Wine Classes. The Fundamentals course provides a very solid foundation and provides a great opportunity to learn and taste and discuss all things wine!
Thank you again for your e-mail and please pass this on to your guests so they too can understand sediment!
And just like this customer, I strongly encourage you to ask questions- via the BLOG or e-mail to Cafe le Grand – and also to attend any of the CLG-Winoversity classes we offer.
With that, I hope you’ve learned a little something about the gunk in the bottom of the bottle.
Thanks for visiting and we’ll see you at Cafe le Grand – Where we’re changing the way you look at wine!
Regards,
Ron
