Tartaric acid

Tartaric acid is a naturally occurring organic acid with two carboxyl groups, abundant in grapes and used in food, winemaking, and chemical analysis.

Dicarboxylic acid: An organic acid containing two carboxyl groups. Tartaric acid belongs to this class because its molecule has two carboxyl groups.
Acid dissociation constant: A quantitative measure of an acid’s tendency to donate a proton in solution. Its two dissociation steps determine tartaric acid’s charge at different pH values.
Winemaking: The process of producing wine from grapes or other fruit. Tartaric acid is a principal grape acid and helps regulate wine acidity.
Rochelle salt: The crystalline double salt potassium sodium tartrate, historically used in chemical and medical applications. Its preparation from wine deposits helped establish the chemistry of tartrate salts.
Stereochemistry: The study of how the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms affects molecules and reactions. Tartaric acid’s stereoisomers differ in handedness and optical activity.
Potassium bitartrate: The sparingly soluble potassium hydrogen tartrate salt that forms crystals in wine and grape juice. Cooling or changing wine conditions can cause this tartaric acid salt to precipitate.
Wine acidity: The concentration and sensory effect of acids in wine. Tartaric acid is often the dominant fixed acid shaping wine’s freshness and stability.
Louis Pasteur: A French chemist and microbiologist whose work established the role of microorganisms in fermentation and disease. Pasteur separated mirror-image tartrate crystals and linked molecular asymmetry to optical activity.
Enantiomer: One of a pair of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images. The naturally common form of tartaric acid has a mirror-image partner.
Calcium tartrate: A sparingly soluble calcium salt of tartaric acid. Calcium tartrate precipitation can create deposits in wine and processing equipment.

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