What are tannins in wine?
What are tannins in wine?
Tannin
Tannins are chemicals belonging to the polyphenol family. In grapes we generally tend to find them in the peel (in dark-skinned grapes), in pips (seeds inside grape) and in the stalks (the stem which holds bunch).
These substances are extracted during the maceration process and contribute to define the organoleptic characteristics of wines, in particular to red wines. It is thanks to the tannins that wine, reds in particular, can be preserved better and the various nuances that we appreciate so much in red wines can be obtained.
In addition to having the function of influencing the color of the wine, tannins serve to determine its flavor, giving it characteristics of astringency, which in typical in typical wine lover jargon is known as “tannicity”. It is due to the barrel aging process, which often characterizes the evolution of red wines.
Astringency
But what is the most evident characteristic of tannins? It is of course, astringency.
That feeling of dryness in the mouth, of lack of salivation. This “allappante” sensation (mouth puckering) showcases the quality of the wine and is what makes a red wine easily paired with dishes such as soup, or juicy and fatty dishes such as grilled meat. Tannins in wine, in fact, play the important role of eliminating saliva proteins from the oral cavity, helping to provide a sense of roughness and, indeed, a lack of salivation.
But what about white wines? In white wines, one cannot really speak of tannins, although a small percentage of overall white wine production does still manage to offer well-structured wines. In such cases, full-bodied white wines tend to derive their spicy and vanilla sensations from the wood of their barrels and barriques. In any case, a wine with good structure and soft tannins provides pleasure in the mouth and brightens any dinner with friends.
To ensure that the sensation of astringency does not become too pronounced, it is advisable to pay attention to the elimination of the green parts of the bunch, avoiding a forced pressing or an early harvest.
