A recent study proves that tannin structure, concentration, and interactions with saliva and other wine components bring in the perception of dryness.
It won’t take a second for a wine aficionado to tell the difference between a dry red and a fruitier red wine.
- Tannin is a natural polyphenol that is found in plants, seeds, bark wood, leaves, and fruit skins.
- Scientists have forever linked tannins with the dry taste in red wines but their molecular reaction has not been understood fully.
- The dryness sensation in wines is also known as astringency which brings in dryness or a rough feeling in the mouth while drinking dry red wine.
- Researchers further took up to study how tannins from two different wines interact with other characteristics of the beverage as well as with salivary proteins.
- As a part of the study, tannins from two wines were extracted – Cabernet Sauvignon (dry wine) and Pinot Noir (less dry wine).
- It was found that Cabernet Sauvignon contained large and highly pigmented tannins than Pinot Noir, and these tannins formed more proteins when they came in contact with saliva.
- Interestingly, another experiment was carried out – an opposite type of tannin was put into Cabernet or Pinot wine, and the difference in taste could not be detected.
- For example, when the tannins from Cabernet wine was added to Pinot wine, the drink appeared to have the same dryness as the original Pinot.
- However, when Cabernet tannins were added to a model wine, the dryness intensity was higher than the original taste.
- Hence, the wine aromas and perception of dryness were highly influenced by the introduction of tannins.
By: Donna, Lifestyle Writer, DKODING Media
