Is sour red wine a good red wine?

Some people don’t drink red wine for a long time. If they start drinking red wine for the first time, they will find that the taste is not so good, and they may even feel a little sour. This is very different from the taste people have in mind at the beginning. In fact, red wine will be a little sour when it first enters the mouth. This is normal and does not mean that it is not a good red wine. It is mainly because red wine is fermented, so it will naturally be a little sour.

The acid in wine comes partly from the grapes themselves and partly from the winemaking process. Among them, tartaric acid, malic acid and citric acid come from grape fruits; the other three acids are succinic acid, lactic acid and acetic acid formed by alcohol fermentation and bacterial activity.

The three acids from grape fruits have different contents depending on the grape variety. Generally speaking, grapes grown in cool climates. They will contain more acid, while varieties from warmer regions (such as Syrah) will have the opposite.

The astringency of red wine

The astringency of wine mainly comes from tannins. Tannin is a natural phenolic substance that exists in many plants in nature, such as grapes, tea leaves, and oak. Tannin is a unique substance in wine. It is widely present in red wine and can be said to be the soul of red wine. Tannins can also be found in some white wines that have been aged in oak barrels. However, you can’t smell or taste tannins, you can only feel them, and they will bring a bitter feeling to your mouth.

This astringent feeling is produced by the reaction between tannin and protein in the saliva of the mouth. Tannin is widely found in various plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves and fruit peels. It is a natural phenolic substance.

For example, when we taste green tea, we can clearly feel the dry taste brought by tannins.

Tannins are an essential component of red wine and mainly come from grape skins and seeds. Red wine is fermented with the grape skins retained. During the fermentation process, the wine will also absorb a certain amount of tannin from the oak.

Tannins give wine a "harsh" taste, which is caused by the reaction between tannins and proteins in the saliva in the mouth.

In addition to bringing astringency, tannin plays an important role in the structure, color and complexity of taste of wine, and is known as the "soul of red wine."

The importance of sourness and astringency

In red wine, sourness is very common. A sour wine does not necessarily mean it is a poor quality wine. In fact, acidity and astringency (tannins) are important prerequisites for wine to have aging potential: the presence of acidity is one of the reference factors for evaluating the aging potential of wine, while tannins provide support for long-term aging.

A good wine is the result of a balance between acidity, tannins, alcohol and sweetness. Without "acid", the wine will lack vitality and be difficult to pair with food; and without tannins, the taste will lack complexity.