Red Wine Sediment
TroubleShooting
Michael Scheerer — Hunt Valley, Maryland asks,
Some of my red wines leave a coating on the entire inside of the bottle after a period of aging — it looks like somebody painted the entire inside of the bottle with an even coat of dark, wine-colored paint all the way around and right up to the cork! The coating does not typically come off as sediment in the glass and does not seem to have an effect on clarity or taste. I make my red wine from whole grapes, sometimes with a pre-fermentation cold soak and often with extended skin contact before pressing. I do not add egg whites and usually do not fine or filter my reds. Sometimes I barrel age, but I have not noticed any pattern as to the grape variety or how my wines are treated in regards to this condition. I typically age my reds at least five years from the vintage date (I am still drinking a few from the 90s) and I cellar them in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. What is this stuff, and is there a simple fix that will not affect the aroma, taste, or age-ability?