food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
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TANNIN<br />
Tannin creates a sensation in <strong>wine</strong> known as astringency. It is separate from the sensation<br />
of bitterness <strong>and</strong> is often described as ‘‘puckeriness.’’ Generally, tannin level is a<br />
defining factor in where a <strong>wine</strong> falls on the smooth-to-rough (or soft-to-hard) continuum. 1<br />
The feeling of tannin in <strong>wine</strong> is primarily based on the type of grape used but also is<br />
determined by the length of soak (with skins, stems, or seeds intact) during the <strong>wine</strong>making<br />
process, the amount of aging in wood, <strong>and</strong> the age of the <strong>wine</strong> itself. Red <strong>wine</strong>s made from<br />
thicker-skinned grapes generally have the most tannin. White <strong>wine</strong>s generally have little or<br />
no tannin. When tannin is present in white <strong>wine</strong>, it is usually imparted during the aging<br />
process from newer oak barrels.<br />
The length of soak <strong>and</strong> the pressing process can create an unpleasant bitter taste in<br />
<strong>wine</strong> as well. Wine bitterness virtually always creates <strong>pairing</strong> problems, for no matter what<br />
you serve with it, the <strong>wine</strong> will always taste bitter. A slightly bitter sensation is frequently<br />
present in red <strong>wine</strong>s but is, in a sense, an acquired taste, with little negative impact if good<br />
<strong>pairing</strong> choices are made. The ability to assess astringency in <strong>wine</strong> is hampered by confusion<br />
about the differences between bitterness, acidity, <strong>and</strong> astringency as they are sensed in the<br />
mouth. 2 Secondarily, the perception of astringency may be hampered by sweeteners in <strong>wine</strong><br />
or <strong>food</strong>. Residual sweetness in <strong>wine</strong> lessens the perception of astringency, 3 while sourness in<br />
<strong>wine</strong> heightens the perception of astringency. 4<br />
During the <strong>wine</strong> evaluation process, look for a drying or puckering sensation in your<br />
mouth as an indication of tannin level. Highly tannic <strong>wine</strong> provides a gripping mouthfeel<br />
<strong>and</strong> a coarse textural feeling. Tannin can range from barely perceived to mouth-grippingly<br />
rough. Very tannic reds such as Barolo or Cabernet Sauvignon are a major ally with steak<br />
<strong>and</strong> lamb. The higher fattiness <strong>and</strong> chewy texture of these meats makes the <strong>wine</strong> feel more<br />
supple, alluring, <strong>and</strong> enticingly complex. Many <strong>food</strong> textures are believed to block the taste<br />
buds <strong>and</strong> make the impact of tannin less than desirable. Some of these <strong>food</strong>s, including eggs,<br />
chocolate, <strong>and</strong> some cheeses, seem to have a mouth-coating effect when consumed with<br />
<strong>wine</strong>. 5 Although I find bittersweet chocolate <strong>and</strong> Cabernet Sauvignon to be a pleasant combination,<br />
semisweet <strong>and</strong> milk chocolate are both too sweet <strong>and</strong> mouth-coating to create a<br />
good combination with red <strong>wine</strong>. Most fish dishes provide an example of <strong>food</strong>s that can<br />
have negative effects with high-tannin <strong>wine</strong>s. Tannic reds with strong wood flavors turn the<br />
taste of most fish metallic <strong>and</strong> nasty. Successful combinations of red <strong>wine</strong>s with fish are more<br />
likely when choosing reds with lower tannins, such as Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Dolcetto, or<br />
even Zinf<strong>and</strong>el. High salt in <strong>food</strong> has a negative interaction with <strong>wine</strong> tannins, making the<br />
tannins taste bitter <strong>and</strong> unpleasant.<br />
MOUTHFEEL WHEEL<br />
Mouthfeel is an important characteristic of <strong>wine</strong> evaluations. Evaluators have used a<br />
variety of terms <strong>and</strong> techniques to assess the level of astringency in <strong>wine</strong>, one of these<br />
methods being the idea of a mouthfeel wheel. 6 For the initial test of the mouthfeel wheel,<br />
samples of fabrics were used to serve as reference anchors for a variety of astringent sensations.<br />
Later research indicates that the original perspective of the mouthfeel wheel was too<br />
complex for even <strong>experience</strong>d <strong>wine</strong> judges, as it incorporated multiple characteristics including<br />
surface smoothness, drying sensations, dynamic elements, weight, complexity, <strong>and</strong><br />
ripeness. 7<br />
The basic concept of using fabric samples for reference anchors has been supported.<br />
Fabric categories ranged from fine (silk, chamois, <strong>and</strong> satin) to medium (felt, velvet, emery,<br />
<strong>and</strong> suede) <strong>and</strong> coarse (corduroy, s<strong>and</strong>paper, <strong>and</strong> burlap). 8 Following these findings, fabric<br />
Mouthfeel Wheel 155