Why a purple tongue?

Dee Dee, All red wine should stain some parts of your mouth purple. This comes from the molecules (anthocyanidins) that give red wine its color (and also give most flowers their color). Those molecules change their color according to the acidity of their environment: in acidic environments such as wine, they look reddish-purple; in alkaline environments such as your mouth, they look bluish-purple. (It's just like hydrangeas). Your tongue will be stained by tannic red wines because those same polyphenolics that give wine its tannic bite also give it its color, and both have a "fondness" for the oils present on your tongue and teeth (that's also why tannic, young red wines go well with fatty foods).

HTH Mark Lipton

Senior moment -- I can't remember whether the correct etiquette is to top post or bottom post.

Thanks for your reply. SOME turn mouth purple, some do not. I recall years ago when I drank California wine, that was the announcement the next day -- but I notice it more and more in some out-of-country wines that I drink. Some do-some don't.

Certainly I don't drink wine the day before a doctor or dentist appointment. :-)) Dee Dee

Usually because it's red wine full of anthocyanins which give the wines pigment. MMOre pigment more color. I've also noted that if you have a coated tongue from medications or allergies that it tend to pick up more color.

Usually because it's red wine full of anthocyanins which give the wines pigment. MMOre pigment more color. I've also noted that if you have a coated tongue from medications or allergies that it tend to pick up more color.

Anthocyanin: "any of various soluble glycoside pigments producing blue to red coloring in flowers and plants"

But, why do some wines have more of those than others - or ones that stain. The reason I wonder is that one cab sauv might make the tongue purple, the lips chapped; but another might not. Now, this is a mystery to me.

Dee Dee

"Dee Randall" wrote in news:g51513$1cb$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org:

Mark L explained that the ones that are more acidic or tannic will stain more. That makes a lower end cab not as staining as a Malbec.

Hmmm, so the fact that I found that the CA wines invariably made my mouth stain, I will conclude that perhaps I didn't like them because they were/are more acidic or tannic most of the time. Whereas French, Italian and Spanish -- my preference -- may or may not cause this mouth color because they perhaps will be less tannic and acidic.

So I perhaps will equate with "I don't like this particular wine; not because my mouth is purple, but because it is acidic and tannic." I didn't think it was that easy. Thanks.

Dee Dee

Dee Dee ha scritto:

The colored anthocyanines lives into the wine in different states of polymerization with tannins. The lighter molecules are highly reactive toward proteins of the saliva and mouth mucous. In the young wines (where they had not time to precipitate or polymerize), mainly if not clarified (clarification is done with gelatin, albumin or other proteins by the same principle) and filtered, they are available to coagulate in the saliva and bind with mouth mucous.

Luk

It's not that easy. Different wine makers use different techniques in making their wines some using more or less skin contact (which is where the color pigment is) to achieve more color and tannin but tannins and acidity are two different components...linked but not the same so wines can be quite acidic but have soft tannin structure or very low acid with very stiff tannins. Ripeness, varietal characteristics and wine making style all play a part in this.

It's not that easy. Different wine makers use different techniques in making their wines some using more or less skin contact (which is where the color pigment is) to achieve more color and tannin but tannins and acidity are two different components...linked but not the same so wines can be quite acidic but have soft tannin structure or very low acid with very stiff tannins. Ripeness, varietal characteristics and wine making style all play a part in this.

Thanks again. At any rate, when I open and drink out of a bottle of wine that causes my teeth and tongue to turn purple and my lips to chap, I enter that in my wine log and don't buy it again. So maybe the answer is moot ;-))

My best, Dee Dee