Wine Is Light Held Together By Water.
Ethanol makes the wine feel smooth and full-bodied.
Ethanol is a very versatile solvent because it has one lipophilic and one hydrophilic end on the same small molecule. The effect is to surround the lipophilic compound with a layer of water. Acids make wine taste lively, refreshing, tart, sour, and feel crisp or puckering like in many kinds of food, soft drinks, or candy. They help inhibit the growth of unwanted bacteria and fungi in the wine. Wine aging is largely due to chemical changes in the tannins.