Tannins: Significance from Seeds and Stems
Thorough wine descriptions frequently talk tannins: they are integral to the making, aging, and enjoyment of wine. If the Tannins were a family, their name would be on the wall of every winery as a benefactor.
From whence do they come, and what is their significance? Veronica schools us proper.
Goes great with: a strong red in a cool, dry cellar.
On the occasional pilgrimage to Florida, I always puzzle over a few poolside trophy wives, oblivious to how tanning will age them. Sort of the opposite of a fine wine, which gets its aging ability largely from tannins.
Tannins originate in the grape’s stems, skins and seeds, so we’re primarily talking reds, whose juice has more contact after crushing. Deeper color and denser texture means more tannins – you taste them in your cheeks, an astringent dryness that makes you pucker, as with oversteeped tea. Certain grapes (hello, Cabernet Sauvignon) are higher on the pucker scale; opening a bottle early to let it breathe will mellow its tannins a bit.
A natural antioxidant preservative, tannins provide the bones of the wine: as the bottle ages, they will recede, and more nuanced flavors will come to the fore. At an ideal age, tannins will not dominate, but still contribute to a wine’s palate.
What becomes a legend most? Trophy wives may have very apparent legs, and certainly know how to make daddy pucker, but, like forgettable wines, they ultimately display little grace, shallow character, and not much distinguishing them from the next one to come along. Good luck with that aging thing.