Sediment forms in red wines that have been aging for at least eight years, but probably ten years or more, and this bottle was almost ten. So what is it? Tartaric Acid is unique in that it is not found in most fruit and is the primary acid component in grapes. It is one of the strongest acids in wine and separates during fermentation and aging. In your mouth it can catch you off guard and make you feel as if there is something foreign in your wine. Just know that the tartrate sediment in your wine glass or wine bottle won’t hurt you if you consume it and it isn’t going to affect the flavor of your wine.