> > > > 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.
>
> What exactly was the wine?
A rather crude Merlot from Sonoma.