What are wine tannins?

Tannins are a compound found in wine that give wine an astringent, mouth-drying effect.

Tannins in found in the skins, seeds, and stalks of grapes, and play a prominent role in the chemical composition of red wine.

They help define a red wine's weight (light-bodied, medium-bodied, full-bodied) and it's perceived sugar balance (sweet, semi-sweet, medium-sweet, dry, etc).

Crafting an excellent red wine requires an adept knowledge of how to best enhance (or dehance as the case may be) the tannic nature of the wine.

It's not simply that 'the more tannins the better' - because EVERYONE can agree that no one wants to drink a wine that tastes like nail polish remover. Am I right? :-)


Melina (that's me) is the creator & catalyst behind this website, and answers wine questions through research, ongoing conversation with Sergio, and personal experience living and working at Hopewell Valley Vineyards. 

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