When you taste a newly bought red wine and suddenly find your mouth sizzling, this spicy red wine is full of delicious, intense and stimulating compounds that will refresh your palate and senses. Let’s look at what makes your tongue has such a great feeling and how to search for tasty and more lively wines in the world.

Pepper Favor

Some wines smell like freshly ground black or white pepper, and when you pair this spicy wine with steak sprinkled with black pepper, it's the perfect combination. Wines made from Shiraz grapes are highly peppery because the skins of the grapes contain the same compound found in black pepper. This naturally occurring compound is called Rotundone.

Excitement

Have you ever had this experience? After you drink some wine, do you feel a warm or burning sensation right away, like when you eat a spicy chilli? If you like that feeling of heat, you should try the classic Chianti from Italy. Due to its high acidity, you can feel that spicy sensation. If you would like to soften the high acid, it's better to pair it with something salty, such as cheese, or cooked red meat dishes.

Why The Wines Feel Spicy

Certain compounds activate the touch receptors of the tongue, but not taste receptors. Capsaicin in chilli peppers can do this, as alcohol and acid. They can make wine feel more pungent, TRPV1 receptors tell us when something is hot would be activated at 42 degrees Celsius. However, irritating substances are also able to activate them, such as capsaicin, alcohol, and high-acid foods or drinks.

Enjoy your Spicy Wine

We can experience the spiciness of red wine in many ways. It could be peppery, searing, or spice, plenty of wine styles to choose from, depending on your preference. Try Gewurztraminer if you like spice flavours, especially those from Alsace. Grüner Veltliner white wine from Austria can also be spicy because it is similar to Syrah, the peel contains sedge azulene with a peppery flavour. Now use your spicy wine knowledge to learn when you drink.

Lydia Zhao POINT PLUME