Does sediment help wine age?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Why do some wines have sediment at the bottom of the bottle? Does it help the aging process?
—JK, Austin, Texas
Dear JK,
I recently answered a question about whether or not you should shake sediment in your bottle of wine (don’t!).
In that answer, I explained that sediment is a natural consequence of making wine. It’s made up of little bits of grape solids, spent yeast cells, tartrate crystals and phenolic molecules, including tannins. Tiny bits of sediment might be suspended in the glass of wine in your hand right now, but it’s not until the wine’s had some time to rest that the sediment might settle to the bottom.
Some wines will “throw” more sediment than others, depending on several factors. For example, you’re more likely to see sediment in red wines because red wines are typically made with grape skins and seeds. White wines, on the other hand, are usually fermented without much contact with grape solids. Certain winemaking processes, especially racking, fining and filtering, will also affect how much sediment is left in the finished wine.
Sediment doesn’t help a wine age, but the older a wine is, the more sediment is likely to accumulate. Wine scientists are still working to understand the complex reactions that occur as wine ages, but they know that over time, various phenolic molecules link up to form long molecular chains called polymers. These make up a significant portion of a wine’s sediment. Because some of the molecules in sediment are the ones responsible for pigment in wine, there can also be a relationship between fading color and the presence of sediment.
The most important thing to know about sediment is that it’s harmless—though it can be unpleasant to drink due to its gritty texture—and it’s not an indicator of quality. To learn how to separate sediment from a wine, check out our tips on decanting!
—Dr. Vinny
