How to Reduce the Acidity in Wine (6 Steps)

Grapes used in wine produce several acids -- most notably tartaric, malic and citric acids -- that give wine its characteristic tart “bite.” Several other acids, including succinic acid, develop as a byproduct of the fermentation process. Although wine makers can lower acidity a number of ways, chemical modification represents the simplest and least expensive method.

Wine makers use a parameter known as total acidity, or TA, to denote the acid content of wines. Dry wines typically exhibit a TA of 0.6 to 0.75 percent, or 60 to 75 grams of acid per liter of wine. Sweet wines exhibit TA values of 0.7 percent or greater. Potassium carbonate, or K2CO3, will lower TA by 0.1 percent when added to wine at a rate of 2.3 grams per gallon of wine.

Things You'll Need

Wine
Potassium carbonate

Balance capable of measuring to 0.1 grams
Calculator

Instructions

Chill the wine or wine sample by placing it in a refrigerator overnight.
Calculate the amount of potassium carbonate needed to reduce total acidity by 0.1 percent. If the volume of wine is known in liters instead of gallons, first convert to gallons by dividing by 3.8. A 750-mL bottle, for example, contains 0.750 L, or (0.750 L / 3.8) = 0.20 gallons. Then multiply the volume in gallons by 2.3 to determine the grams of potassium carbonate required. For this example, 0.20 * 2.3 = 0.5 grams.
Measure out the quantity of potassium carbonate determined in step 3 using a balance.
Pour a few ounces of the wine into a glass, add the potassium carbonate weighed out in step 3, and stir until dissolved.
Combine the wine and potassium carbonate mixture with the rest of the wine and mix thoroughly. Re-chill the wine overnight before tasting.
Taste the wine for desired acidity level. If further de-acidification is required, repeat the process.

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