Tannins are small natural particles found in trees and plants. Tannins are typically present in wood, leaves, skins and seeds.
You do not taste tannins, you feel them.
Chew on one of these things:
Do you feel the dryness in your mouth and a bitterness on your tongue?
Berries, Coffe. Dark Chocolate, Beans, Banana Skin, Pomegranate, and Cinnamon also contains a lot of tannins
Tannins are passed into wine from grape skins, seeds, and stems.
Tannins in wine can also come from wood storing (oak aging).
Oak tannins tend to attack the front of the tongue. Skin tannins tend to attach the back, while intense tannins (stem and seeds) attack the teeth and gums.
A wine with very strong tannins is often better when aged. Years of storing in a bottle will soften the tannins.
Strong Tannins |
Shiraz Syrah Bordaux wines (Cabernet Sauvignon) Nebbiolo based (Barolo) Sangiovese based (Chianti) Malbec |
Smooth Tannins |
Merlot Tempranillo based (Rioja) Zinfandel Primitivo |
Light Tannins |
Gamay based (Beaujolais) Pinot Noir Valpolicella Lambrusco |
Red wines are made by fermenting the grapes along with the skin and the seeds to extract color and tannins.
Tannins play an important role in red wine making.
White wines contain little tannins because the grape juice is femented after the skin and seeds have been removed.
Acid plays the more important role in white wines.
Red wine and fat creates a "win-win" situation:
The tannins in wine melt the fat in the meat and releases the meat flavors.
The fat in the meat soften the tannins in wine and releases the wine flavors.
The more textured the food (fatty like duck or chewy like steak) the more tannin is needed in the wine.
Tannins are attracted to fatty proteins:
Tannins are bitter and responsible for an astringent and dry gum sensation.
But tannins works out magically when it comes to clean your mouth from the coat of fat of a steak.
This is pure chemistry: tannins bond with proteins, soften the fat, and release the meat's flavor.
The astringent (drying) effect you feel when eating Pomegranate is the effect of tannins.
The unpleasant taste of tannins protects plants from birds, pest and insect attacks.
Tannins also protect people against cancer (slowing down cancer cell division).
White Wines | |
White Wines (Oaked) | |
Light Rosé Wines | |
Bodied Rosé Wines | |
Beaujolais | |
Burgund | |
Pinot Noir | |
Grenache | |
Barbera | |
Valpolicella | |
Merlot | |
Rhône South | |
Cabernet Franc | |
Primitivo | |
Sangiovese | |
Tempranillo | |
Chianti | |
Malbec | |
Rioja | |
Brunello | |
Montepulciano | |
Zinfandel | |
Bordeaux | |
Cab. Sauvignon | |
Pinotage | |
Shiraz | |
Rhône North | |
Barolo | |
Barbaresco | |
Nebbiolo |
Alcohol can be addictive. Drink in moderation.
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