Wine 101: Tannins

Tannin is a French wine term, actually coming from an old German word (Tanna, which means oak or fir tree).  It is a natural biomolecule contained in grapes, as well as in tree barks, leaves, roots or seeds.  It has been used for centuries by tanners to process animal skins into leather.

Grape's tannins are contained in the skin and seeds. During the fermentation period of red wines, the grape juice is left in contact with the skin to extract color and phenolic components which will bring astringency and acidity to the wine, which will help in the ageing of the wines.

Wineof ‘entry-level’ prices (below RM55) are made with grapes from young vines, producing a fair volume. The tannin content of these wines will not be very high – so they can and should be enjoyed early as they won’t evolve with time.  On the other side, more premium reds come from old vines, giving low volume of grapes, but that are rich with tannins.  The extracting of those tannings will take longer. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, which will concentrate the tannins even more, so they would need time to settle in the bottle and arrive at a more ‘friendly’ level. This can go from a few months to over a decade, depending on the wine (usually the more expensive it is, the more it has been in contact with oak, and the longer it will require).

Some grapes varietals naturally have a higher content of tannins than others (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz compared to Pinot Noir), so they would easily have a fuller body.  Tannins are also what gives you dark teeth if you have a few glasses! Technically, white wine does not have tannins, as the grapes are pressed directly, without maceration time.  

Tannins are one of the components that contribute to a wine's body. More on that here. If you like full bodied wines, check out these wines.