Thanks for the info; I wiki`ed the malic acid to find more info; I now understand why I digest food so much better with red wine as grapes contain some.
I have read a few of your posts about the importance of our stomach acid and bitters for digestion; I find them very informative.
Is this about right ; when the body produces HCL acid is taken from the cells / this is how the cells get rid of acid and therefor can maintain their alkalinity ?

No, that is complete nonsense. Stomach acid (HCl) is produced from the chloride of salts. It is secretes from specialized cells in the stomach wall. It has nothing to do with trying to maintain alkalinity.

In fact the whole maintaining alkalinity for health thing is pretty much nonsense as well. The body has to maintain a narrow pH range so the body has multiple systems, including breathing, to maintain this pH to prevent becoming too acidic or too alkaline. Both can be dangerous. Furthermore, there are parts of the body that need to be acidic for health. The stomach, female organs and skin for example. We also need acids to detoxify, to produce cellular energy, to kill pathogens, maintain healthy bone, build tissues, kill cancer cells, etc.

When people have heartburn / gerd it is because their stomach acid is to alkaline and the surrounding tissue is to acid because of lack of bicarbonates/ alkaline minerals ?

No. Heartburn does result from lack of stomach acid, but has NOTHING to do with a lack of alkaline minerals or bicarbonates. Lack of stomach acid can cause heartburn for two reasons. The first is that the digestive enzyme pepsin cannot work without sufficient stomach acid. Therefore, with a lack of stomach acid leads to impaired digestion. Instead of our meals digesting properly they start to ferment. This leads to a build up of gas in the stomach, which is why people bloat before the heartburn. When the upper sphincter valve relaxes the gas rushes up the esophagus carrying traces of acid with it. This is what causes the burning sensation. Lack of stomach acid also promotes yeast growth in the stomach. Acidity turns off the growth gene in Candida. This growth gene is turned on by alkalinity. As the stomach becomes more alkaline the growth gene is turned on the yeast thrives. Fermentation from the yeast again leads to the formation of gas, especially after eating sugars, and again this escaping gas carries traces of acid up the esophagus.

In fact, taking alkaline minerals in their alkaline state will actually make this condition worse as the alkaline minerals will further neutralize any remaining stomach acid. Alkaline waters and carbonates will also neutralize stomach acid. And this leads to other problems as well including increased infections, nutritional deficiencies (including minerals), allergies, and further reductions in stomach acid formation. Alkaline minerals in their alkaline state also combine with water to form the corresponding hydroxides. Hydroxides are very caustic and easily burn tissues, and are some of the strongest free radicals known. This is why hydroxides are used as drain cleaners: sodium hydroxide (lye) and potassium hydroxide (Drano). Minerals should NEVER be taken in their hydroxide (OH) or carbonate forms, which includes alkaline waters. They need to be derived from either eating plants or in supplements already reacted with an acid (malates, citrates, orotates, ascorbates, etc.).