Surely on more than one occasion you have heard that a wine has a lot of tannins or that the benefits of wine are due, to a large extent, to the fact that it is composed of tannins. However, do you know what the tannins in wine are? What function do they fulfill in a wine? Or even what do they cause in our to make it work better?
At WINERY ON CREACIONES we want to help you better understand the elements that make up wine, which is why we have written this article. On this occasion, we will talk about tannins.
What are the tannins in wine
Tannins are plant chemicals found in grape stalks, skins, and seeds. Hence, it is a substance linked to wine.
Tannins are composed, in turn, of polyphenols that are responsible for the color of the grapes. Hence, it is often said that its presence is greater in rosé and red wines, than in whites.
All tannins are not the same size or shape. In fact, with the passage of time, they are grouped together forming superior entities. This procedure usually occurs when the wine is maturing and is called polymerization. This transformation is of vital importance in the wine since thanks to it a higher quality is achieved in the wine.
Also part of the tannins contained in the wine comes from the barrel. Space that has previously been used for the maturation of other wines and has acquired part of this substance.
Types of tannins
There are three main types of tannins: sweet, hard and silky.
Sweets are those that leave a soft, dry sensation in the mouth. They are reminiscent of velvet and indicate that the wine is ready to be consumed.
The tough ones are the ones that leave your mouth dry. So much so that it is sometimes difficult to regain the initial sensation.
Finally, the silky tannins are those that leave the palate of our mouth juicy.
How to perceive the tannins in wine
To perceive the presence of tannins in the wine, just taste it. They are responsible for our having a dry mouth sensation. As if the wine were something rough, dry.
This sensation is modified with the passage of time and the maturation process of the wine. Hence, on many labels you can read comments such as “nice tannins” or “elegant tannins”. In this way, the responsible winery wants to tell us the degree of roughness that we will find (or not) when drinking their wine.
At WINERY ON CREATIONS, for example, we refer to tannins when we talk about the behavior of our wines in the mouth. Thus, for example, to explain our DEMUERTE DELUXE we point out that it is a wine with a “smooth and velvety mid palate”. Or when we refer to DEMUERTE GOLD we write that its “Smooth mid palate, high body and ripe and silky tannin”. Arguments with which you can get an idea of what the taste of our wines is like.
Health benefits
Tannins are not exclusive substances of the grape. We can also find them in other products such as tea, coffee or blackberries.
These are substances that provide many benefits to the body. Hence, there are many experts in medicine or nutrition who point out that the intake of one or two glasses of good wine is very positive for our health.
If you still don’t know how they can help your body, don’t worry. Here is a list that highlights the main health benefits of tannins. They are as follows:
1. Antioxidants. They help prevent aging. They also help prevent degenerative diseases caused by free radicals, which they keep at bay.
2. Anti-inflammatories. It prevents wounds from becoming infected or lasting longer than necessary. Something that usually happens when we have low defenses.
3. Astringent. Helps cut diarrhea, as well as any other intestinal ailment.
So, if you want to discover quality tannins, don’t hesitate and buy one of our DEMUERTE wines. Your body will thank you for it.
