Cold stabilisation
German: Kaltstabilisierung Also known as: Weinsteinstabilisierung, Kältestabilisierung
Chilling a drink so that tartrates and proteins precipitate and do not appear later as crystals or haze in the bottle.
In cold stabilisation, a drink, usually wine, is chilled for several days to temperatures close to freezing. Tartrate (potassium hydrogen tartrate) and other cold-sensitive substances precipitate and can be removed.
This prevents small crystals from forming later in the chilled bottle. They are harmless, but customers often see them as a fault. Besides cold, there are also additives and electrodialysis processes for tartrate stabilisation. The process improves appearance but is not necessary for all products.