Cold stabilization is the process of chilling the wine before bottling to induce the crystallization of tartaric acid, the most prevalent acids found in a wine before malic acid that usually gets converted in lactic acid with the malolactic fermentation. Tartaric acid is higher in champagne than in other wines, participating in its pleasant freshness, and cold-stabilization simply prevents the later formation of its crystal, the so-called “wine diamonds,” when the consumers place the bottle of champagne in the fridge. They are harmless, but it can be disturbing to find them in the finished wine.
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