Wine Sediment – A natural by-product of winemaking

What is Wine Sediment?

Sediment is any matter that is deposited to the sides and bottom of the bottle.  It may be small crystals of tartaric acid found in white wines (so called wine diamonds), or flakey dark matter that flows from the bottle when the last glass of red wine is poured.

Sediment is safe.  It is entirely organic and comes from the grapes themselves.

Sediment formation is not due to poor wine making practices.  Rather it is a clear indicator of minimally invasive wine making techniques that aim to improve the quality of wine and reduce wine additives so commonly used in “industrial wine making”.

Sediment can form during the fermentation process or while a wine matures in a bottle.


Many winemakers are moving toward not fining or filtering their wines in order to preserve the integrity of flavour and quality of the wine.

Tracy-Lynne MacLellan
https://justwineapp.com/article/wine-201-appearance-red-wine

Wine Industry Standards

Wine industry-imposed standards have created a customer perception that “no sediment” wine is necessary.  This can be accomplished with (1) filtration processes to remove particles (and possibly flavor) from the wine and (2) stabilizer additions which chemically suspend particles and prevent settling.

At Dolio Winery, we think these standards are a mistake on the part of the wine industry. Our winemaking style of minimal intervention does not suggest we’re paying less attention to our wines. It means we’re not stripping away all of the delicious nuances of the wines. If a wine throws some sediment, that’s an indication that we’ve preserved more subtle flavors.


Long-Aged Wines

One of the key wine production goals of Dolio Winery is to introduce the concept of long-aged wines to our customers.  We define long-aged wines as having spent approximately 28-36 months in either barrels, amphorae, or stainless-steel tanks in the winery.  After bottling, the wines are held a minimum of one year. This means that most Dolio wines are nearly four and, more likely, five years old before release.  

Dolio wine aging in barrels
Dolio wine aging in barrels

Benefits of long-aged wine

A wine with aging in the range of five years has reached a stability point where most dynamic changes that occur to wine are complete.  This means that bottle after bottle, a consumer will experience a more uniform and consistent taste experience.

In addition, aged wines have a tendency to be smoother, more balanced (between acid and tannins), and have deeper flavors that lend to a more complete taste profile. Although the fruit forwardness of young wines may be reduced by long-aging, additional aroma and taste potential can be realized.  This means better pairing with food, or just an overall improved tasting sensation when the wine is consumed without food.

Often times customers will buy wine and “set it aside” to age and develop sensory characteristics not found in young wines. Dolio Winery is cellaring wines for an extended period of time so our customers can purchase a long-aged wine and enjoy the benefits of aging right away. 

Long-aged wine side effect: Sediment

Sediment in red wine is caused by the precipitation of color molecules called anthocyanins, tannins, and perhaps lees from fermentation.  Completely natural, they come from grape skins, seeds, stems, and yeast.  Most lees are effectively removed before aging by the use of gravity and racking (moving wine from container to container).  

Over time, very small anthocyanin and tannin molecules which have been suspended in wine will link together, form larger molecules that are too complex to remain dissolved in wine, fall out of suspension and create sediment. The process continues well after bottling.


Don’t Want Sediment in Your Glass?

Several options exist to keep sediment out of your glass.

A Bordeaux bottle, aerator with filter and decanter can all be used to keep sediment out of your wine glass.
A Bordeaux bottle, aerator with filter and decanter can all be used to keep sediment out of your wine glass.

Use the Bottle

The Bordeaux style wine bottle is one good example of sediment management in the wine container itself.  The bottle shoulders exist to help catch sediment when poured slowly.  If you want to see how this is accomplished, just ask us to demonstrate it next time you are in the tasting room. 

Filter While Pouring

Pouring filters and aeration combo gadgets do an excellent job at capturing sediment while improving taste characteristics through aeration.  One such unit, the Rabbit Aerator Shower Funnel with Sediment Strainer is reasonably priced at $17 and can be purchased online or at the tasting room.

Decant Your Wine

Finally, decanting is another excellent method for controlling sediment.  Decanters don’t have to be elaborate or expensive.  We’ve found excellent examples at local specialty shops that capture sediment in a similar manner as the Bordeaux bottle shoulder mentioned previously.


Dolio Wines

Sediment will be in Dolio wines as a naturally occurring by-product of wine aging.  Now you know what sediment actually is, why it is there and how to keep it from your glass.


Further Reading

What’s The Gunk in My Wine?
Jim Gordon
https://www.winemag.com/2019/03/05/gunk-in-my-wine-sediment/?fbclid=IwAR38ocXjTKhadl4snG5FfKvCvhE2v5XhJb1WmQXBVYspdxOGAbxoB41Lhb0

The Gritty Truth: Why is there a Sediment in my Wine?
Kelsey Chesterfield 
https://www.goldmedalwineclub.com/blog/post/the-gritty-truth-why-is-there-sediment-in-my-wine

When wine throws a sediment
Dan Berger
https://napavalleyregister.com/wine/columnists/dan-berger/when-wine-throws-a-sediment/article_4c24b5ba-1f34-5a73-a748-c96656b0efd9.html

Aging Gracefully
Erik Matthews
https://winemakermag.com/article/55-aging-gracefully