# Why do I get worse wine tongue?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554 "2009-08-24T21:45:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554/1 "2009-08-24T21:45:28Z")

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Most people who drink wine have seen “wine tongue”, the purple/red stain that red wine leaves on the tongue, as well as lips and teeth. If I am not mistaken, this is due to the tannins in the wine.

However, I have noticed that over the last couple years I get wine tongue more frequently than I used to. This could be because I have been drinking more tannic wines, but I have also noticed that I get sometimes get wine tongue even when the people I am drinking with don’t. Is there anything that could cause this to be the case?

I am obviously not looking for medical advice, as I don’t consider this a medical problem. Just curious about why this happens.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554/2 "2009-08-24T22:26:05Z")

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Do you use mouthwash by any chance? Following dental surgery recently I was advised to use mouthwash containing chlorhexidine. That tends to stain the tongue slightly brown, but not hugely so. However, the first time I drank red wine after using the mouthwash, my tongue was stained a vivid black colour!

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**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554/3 "2009-08-24T23:52:17Z")

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> [@Colophon](#):
>
> Do you use mouthwash by any chance? Following dental surgery recently I was advised to use mouthwash containing chlorhexidine. That tends to stain the tongue slightly brown, but not hugely so. However, the first time I drank red wine after using the mouthwash, my tongue was stained a vivid black colour!

I use mouthwash occasionally, but not regularly, so I don’t think that’s it. Interesting, though!

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**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-get-worse-wine-tongue/507554/4 "2009-08-25T20:53:49Z")

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I would be interested to know this as well. It used to happen to me very noticeably. Of course, I was a heavy drinker. Would that have anything to do with it? Although it would be worse if I hadn’t brushed my teeth in a while for my tongue and teeth, it always happened with red wine. Even my lips. This also happens to my mom, but not my father.