Astringency

Of the five above tastes, saltiness is not found to any degree in wine with perhaps the exception of some Muscadet (not Muscat) wines from the Loire Valley in France and some Australian wines from heavily irrigated grapes.

Wines usually do not have much bitter taste or if they do, the bitterness is minimal. However, wines do have tannins from the grape skins and/or from oak aging that produce an astringent sensation or mouth-feel. Astringency is a touch sensation and not a taste, but it can be described by some as “bitterness

Tannins coagulate proteins in your mouth and create a puckering or drying sensation. The astringent mouthfeel of tannins in wine is NOT the same as a wine being “dry“. Wine drinkers who interpret an astringent mouthfeel caused by wine tannins as a”dry wine” are not wrong, but the better term is “astringent“. A “dry” wine is simply not sweet (sugar).

Dry in wine is different than puckery – Got it!