> > I tried a California merlot & discovered a thick, dark residue on the
> > inside of the bottle after it was corked. Ick! What is it? I
> > presume this is something to do with improper storage.
>
> > Thanks in advance, my fellow wine lovers!!
>
> Many red wines will drop a sediment after bottling. It's a totally
> natural thing and in no way harms the wine. The stuff on the inside of
> the cork is often that same sediment combined with crystals of tartaric
> acid, another natural component of wine. The only thing I'd suggest is
> that you don't agitate the bottle too much when pouring from a bottle
> with sediment in it, as the sediment itself will impart a bitter taste
> to the wine. If it's been agitated, you can pour the wine through a
> coffee filter to remove the sediment.

Coffee filter; great idea. The sediment was very heavy, even coating
the inside of the bottle once it was empty, and it was apparent in the
glass. Bleagh.