Specifically red wine. I’ve drank it before and thought “Why the hell ia it dry? It’s literally a liquid wtf,” and since then I’ve been wondering how a liquid can feel dry.
In: Chemistry
Dryness in alcohol is often associated with a sensation of astringency or a mouth-puckering effect caused by compounds like tannins or high alcohol content. In red wine, tannins are more noticeable because they interact with pigments in the grape skins, giving red wines their characteristic color. Tannins bind with proteins in saliva, causing a drying sensation in the mouth (astringency).
Red wine is rich in phenolic compounds, which come from the skins and seeds of grapes. Unlike white wine, which is made by fermenting only juice, red wine is made by fermenting a slurry of juice, skins, and seeds, thereby allowing phenolics to seep into the final product. Phenolics include anthocyanins, which give red wines their color, as well as tannins, which are responsible for this dryness you’re perceiving. The wine world refers to this sensation as “astringency.”
Tannins bind with proteins in your saliva, causing a loss of lubrication and creating something called a precipitate. Have some saliva ready in your mouth, take a sip of red wine, swish it around, spit it out, and you’ll find a rather unpleasant-looking gooey/stringy substance – that’s the precipitate. This tannin-protein causes astringency because what you’re feeling it’s not quite a liquid anymore.
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