What do tannins mean

The only downside to tannins is that they can give some people headaches. Tannin headaches are rare, usually we just get a wine headache from consuming too much, but if you do realize you suffer from them, sticking to white wine, which is very low in tannins, would solve your tannin-triggered headaches!

If you want to try a trick that can help you recognize a tannin when you taste it, brew a cup of extra strong black tea. Tannins naturally occur in black tea and their characteristics emerge when the tea is brewed a few minutes longer than recommended.

While often said to help a wine age, plenty of white wines reach a magnificent age without tannin. However, mouthfeel changes as a red wine matures.

Initially, the tannins leached into a wine are smaller molecules. With time, these tannins start to combine and form larger chains—a process called polymerization. These tannin chains become so long that they fall out of suspension, which creates a deposit and leads to sediment in some bottles. However, if a red wine has harsh, bitter and unbalanced tannic structure to begin with, no amount of aging will even them out. Maceration time, or the amount of time red wine spends in contact with its skins during winemaking, has an important influence.

A shorter maceration allows less time for tannins and color to leach into the wine as it ferments. As fermentation continues, more tannins are leached, as the alcohol that develops begins to act as a solvent.

Some winemakers also use grape stems to add structure to wines like Pinot Noir and Syrah. This means that the entire bunch goes into the fermenting vat. This is known as whole-bunch or whole-cluster fermentation.

Winemakers can also assist in this process. Some wineries have tanks fitted with internal grids that keep the rising grape skins submerged. Remontage , or pump-over, offers a slightly more effective extraction. The liquid at the bottom of the fermenting vat is drawn off and pumped back over the grape skins. Some wineries also have so-called roto-fermenters, which are like giant front-loading washing machines that rotate.

This is because, as time passes, the tannins chemically bind into long chains of molecules. As this happens, the length and weight of the chains makes them fall to the bottom as sediment. Sediment should never be part of standard wine pour , by the way. Learn how to decant wine to solve that problem. This is referred to as a wine with resolved tannins. These young wines can benefit from a quick decant.

If you're wondering what does a wine aerator do , there's your answer, they can help soften some of the tannins. This is done my adding air to the wine aggressively giving you an intentionally oxidized wine.

Because some aeration methods are better for different types of wines and their tannins, here's some information about wine decanters vs wine aerators.

Just make sure you know how to clean a decanter so you can keep your crystal sparkling. Tannin management in the winemaking process is a useful lever winemakers have to control the flavor and character of their wines.

There are four primary ways tannins are managed. They are the ripeness of grapes chosen, the type of grape, the maceration process, and the aging process.

Young fruit is typically harder and more bitter. Ripe fruit is softer and sweeter. The riper the grapes, the more tannins have broken down. That results in a weaker physical structure and less tannin molecules to bind to taste receptors and create a bitter flavor. You can really weaken the tannins if you use frozen grapes or freeze wine.

Some grapes are just more tannic than others. This has everything to do with how that particular grape evolved to ensure its survival and thrive in its environment. Which the presence of tannins helps it do. Consider the soil and climate it grows in warmer weather produces less tannic grapes , the irrigation and water it receives the less water the grape gets, the more tannins , and the natural predators it has exposure to natural predators increases tannins in grapes.

All of these factors play a role in how much natural tannin a grape has. Some of the most tannic wine varietals out there are from Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Malbec. Test Your Vocabulary. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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