Effect of salt on tannin

The effect of salt on tannin illustrates this seasoning's ambivalence in sommellerie, since salt softens the perception of a wine's acidity and bitterness yet amplifies the astringency of its tannins. A heavily salted dish paired with a young, firm red yields a doubly drying sensation. Salt nevertheless remains a valuable ally with crisp whites, whose sharp edges it rounds and whose fullness it reveals on the palate.