Fish should not drink red wine

It is well-known that drinking red wine when eating seafood can cause unpleasant fishy smells, and that “when drinking red wine when eating meat and drinking white wine when eating fish” is indeed a matter of experience. What is the cause of blame?

Researchers from the Moses Corporation in Fujisawa, Japan, conducted an experiment and prepared 38 kinds of red wine and 26 kinds of white spirits for 7 experienced tasters. At four different times, the sommelier tasted the wine while eating the scallop meat that was most likely to smell fishy. Researchers analyzed the possible link between wine and fishy smells from a chemical perspective.

The research team reported that the culprit seems to be iron. When the content of iron in wine reaches more than 2 milligrams per liter, the taste of seafood consumed by Zuoji will deteriorate. In order to double-check the results of the study, the research team soaked dried scallops in wine samples. When immersed in a sample with low iron content, the taste of scallop meat is normal; when immersed in a sample with high iron content, scallop meat emits fishy odor. No compound that reacts with alcohol has been extracted in scallop meat yet, but researchers believe that this compound is an unsaturated fatty acid that rapidly decomposes when exposed to iron and releases a rotten smell of fish.

The chief initiator of the study, Tamura Takashi, believes that this new discovery provides a basis for wine manufacturers and they should seriously consider ways to reduce iron pollution. Winemaking expert Gordon Burns pointed out that there are more good reasons to avoid eating fish and drinking red wine - even without considering the issue of iron content, any mellow red wine may submerge the delicate and delicate taste of many seafood dishes.