Tartaric acid, also known as acid of grapes, is a chiral dicarboxylic acid found in wine must. It is used for two main purposes, in the food industry to give an acid taste, and as an antioxidant. It occurs naturally in many plants, particularly grapes, bananas, and tamarinds, and is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to give a sour taste, and is used as an antioxidant. Salts of tartaric acid are known as tartrates. It is a dihydroxy derivative of dicarboxylic acid.
Tartaric acid plays an important role in lowering the pH of fermenting "must" to a level where many spoilage bacteria cannot live. This acts as a preservative after fermentation. In the mouth, tartaric acid provides some of the tartness that is currently out of fashion in the wine world, although citric and malic acids also play a role. Extending hang time which allows grapes to sit on the vine until they nearly become raisins dramatically reduces the taste of tartaric acid in wine. This allows wine to be smoother, but also potentially less compatible with food. |
This is an example of what tartaric acid may look like in the form of a powder.
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