What are tannins
Tannins are natural substances that are found in the skin of grapes, from where they enter the wine. Red wines contain more tannins due to the technology of their production – there is a longer contact of the must with the skins.
Getting a wine that is balanced in terms of tannins and acidity is a difficult job, so people often come across unsuccessful samples. Because of this, in the future, they tend to choose wines that are “intolerant”.
Why are tannins needed in wine?
Tannins are essential in the production of wines, because without them the structure and body of the wine is lost, it loses its ability to be stored for a long time, since tannins protect it from spoilage.
The amount of tannins in wine can vary depending on the grape variety or blend used, and it can also be affected by aging in the barrel – oak wood also saturates the wine with tannins.
There are many levels of tannin content, consider the main ones:
Silky – soft, literally glide over the tongue and palate.
Rounded – smooth and pleasant, without sharp corners.
Wiry – quite powerful, but still neat.
Chewy – so intense that there is a desire to chew them.
There are exceptions. For example, Beaujolais Nouveau is a French young wine made from the Gamay variety, which is usually drunk young – it has practically no tannins.
Relevance: 25.12.2015
Tags: Encyclopedia