Why wine feels astringent: a tactile feel

The standard

The felt astringency separates mouthfeel from taste: it arises when tannins reduce the saliva's slipperiness, not on the taste bud. The measure is the sensation across the whole mouth, not on the tongue.

Criteria

• Astringency is a tactile feel, not a taste
• Its cause is tannins that bind salivary proteins
• Its grain ranges from velvety to rough
• It settles with maturity, it does not vanish abruptly

Distinction

Astringency ≠ bitterness: one is felt, the other tasted. The felt astringency describes the structure of the tannins, not their taste.