Why do some red wines have an oily kind of smoothness to them?
from cheese_greater@lemmy.world to nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca on 27 Mar 13:35
https://lemmy.world/post/44820142

Never noticed it with white but reds often have a smoothness to them, almost like a sort of liquid umami-ishness in a way

#nostupidquestions

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celeste@kbin.earth on 27 Mar 14:03 next collapse

https://cancanawards.com/what-makes-wine-oily/ I know nothing about it. Does this sound right?

cheese_greater@lemmy.world on 27 Mar 14:15 collapse

The oily texture in wine is primarily a result of malolactic fermentation, where bacteria convert malic acid into lactic acid. The lactic acid produced has a slightly oily consistency, adding a velvety texture to the wine

Neat!

lvxferre@mander.xyz on 27 Mar 14:55 next collapse

A lot of that is umami: red wines are fermented with the skins, while white wines aren’t. And grape skins have quite a bit of amino acids (proline, alanine, glutamic acid, and arginine; source) that taste umami, and the fermentation releases those into the wine. Much like in soy sauce, but in a smaller scale.

The lactic acid @celeste@kbin.earth mentioned also plays a big role. It’s mostly sour, but it has also a bit of a thick texture and a “meaty” taste. It’s easier to notice it in sauerkraut, though; wine has too much going on, and sauerkraut has higher amounts of lactic acid.

Note amber wines (made with white grapes, but skin on) also have that same vibe. I got relatives who sometimes brew amber wine, mostly for internal consumption; drink it while eating some olives and you can swear you’re drinking ham.

cheese_greater@lemmy.world on 27 Mar 15:04 collapse

Hamm & Bubbly

fallaciousBasis@lemmy.world on 27 Mar 15:11 collapse

I think the technical term is body. Wine has body, whereas spirits don’t.

cheese_greater@lemmy.world on 27 Mar 15:43 collapse

I think its the lactic acid thing, like I said, its some wines not all. Its that brothy/creamy mouthfeel. Ive not tasted a white wine with it either.

fallaciousBasis@lemmy.world on 27 Mar 16:03 collapse

There’s several factors.

Tannins, glycerol, etc.

Malolactic fermentation is more pronounced in whites. Chardonnay typifies this.