Tannins – The Grip Behind the Glass 🍷🪵

Welcome back to Spill the Wine, Tobi, and part four of our series on the five essential wine traits.

So far, we’ve talked about Body, Sweetness, and Acidity—each one shaping how wine feels, tastes, and evolves.

But today we enter the world of red wine texture—where structure meets sensation and where things get a little more complex.

Let’s talk about Tannins.

They’re bold. Sometimes challenging. Often misunderstood.
And yet, without them, red wine wouldn’t be red wine.

“Tannins are what make wine linger—not just in your mouth, but in your memory.”
— Tobi

What Are Tannins?

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds found naturally in plants - especially in grape skins, seeds, stems, and oak barrels. In wine, they’re responsible for a unique set of textural sensations: dryness, grip, and bitterness.

They also exist in:

• Black tea
• Walnuts and hazelnuts
• Dark chocolate
• Pomegranate
• Oak wood
• Unripe fruit (ever bitten into a green persimmon?)

In red wine, tannins come from:

• The grape’s skin, seeds, and stems during fermentation
• Oak barrels, especially new ones
• (Occasionally) winemaking techniques that enhance extraction

They're not about flavor—they’re about feel.

How Tannins Feel

Tannins don’t taste sweet or sour - they create texture.

If you’ve ever felt your mouth dry out after sipping strong black tea, or if your gums feel slightly sticky or grippy after a sip of red wine - that’s tannins at work.

We perceive tannins in three ways:

• Astringency – that drying, mouth-puckering feel
• Bitterness – especially in younger or rustic wines
• Persistence – how long the sensation lasts after swallowing

Tannins on a 1–5 Scale

To help describe tannins, I use a simple sensory scale:

The Phenolic Profile: Not Just Tannins

Tannins belong to a larger family called phenolic compounds, which shape a wine’s structure, color, and health impact.

Here’s a taste of who’s in that family:

• Catechin & Epicatechin: condensed tannins with antioxidant effects
• Gallotannins: come mainly from oak and grape seeds
• Malvidin: gives red wine its purple-red pigment
• Caftaric & Caffeic acid: influence color in white wines
• Quercetin: stabilizes color by bonding with anthocyanins

Together, they form the building blocks of both a wine’s strength and subtlety.

Tannin Levels by Grape Variety

Different grape varieties produce vastly different tannin levels. Here's a breakdown of approximate tannin content (in mg/kg):

🔴 High Tannin:

• Cabernet Sauvignon – up to 4000 mg/kg
• Cabernet Franc
• Nebbiolo
• Tannat
• Petit Verdot

🟠 Medium Tannin:

• Merlot
• Montepulciano
• Tempranillo
• Syrah / Shiraz
• Mencía

🟢 Lower Tannin:

• Pinot Noir
• Gamay
• Carignan
• Castelao
• Negroamaro

White wines, in contrast, generally have very low tannin levels - unless they undergo skin contact (as in orange wines) or barrel aging.

What Tannins Do in Wine

Tannins play a crucial role in shaping red wine:

🧱 1. Structure

They create the wine’s “scaffolding”—supporting body, acidity, and alcohol.

⏳ 2. Age-worthiness

Tannins act as natural antioxidants, protecting the wine over time. Harsh young tannins often mellow into smooth, velvety textures with age.

🍽️ 3. Food Pairing

Tannins balance out rich, fatty foods. They love:

• Steak
• Aged cheeses
• Roasted mushrooms
• Charcuterie

As a general rule: the bolder the food, the bolder the tannins.

Tannins and Health

Tannins don’t just affect texture - they may benefit your health too.

• Oligomeric procyanidins: thought to help reduce cholesterol
• Ellagitannins (from oak): have shown anti-cancer activity in lab studies
• Some studies suggest tannins reduce inflammation and support cardiovascular function

And contrary to rumor:
There’s no scientific evidence that tannins cause wine headaches. That might be due to histamines, sulfites, or - more likely - dehydration.

Tobi’s Tip: Let Them Breathe

If a wine feels tight or drying - pause.

Let it breathe for 20–30 minutes.
Give it air, swirl it in your glass.
Sometimes all a wine needs is a little time to exhale - and for its tannins to stretch and soften.

🎶 Wine & Music Moment

Tannins remind me of songs that age well. The kind you don’t fully understand at first, but come back to again and again. Songs with layers, strength, and something nostalgic underneath.

One warm summer night, I opened a young bottle of Cabernet Franc and let it sit as the sun went down. That night, I played:

🎵 “Le Sud” – Nino Ferrer

There’s something golden about this song. Melancholic, but breezy. Sunny, but with roots. It reminded me of the way tannins work—structured and quiet, yet deeply present. And over time, like the song, the wine opened beautifully.

Pair it with:

• A rustic Cabernet Franc from the Loire
• A bold Tempranillo from Spain
• Or a soft but complex Carignan from the South of France

Let it slow you down. Let it settle in. Some things need time to show their full shape.

Coming Next…

Next up: Alcohol—how it adds warmth, weight, and a surprising influence on body, balance, and even sweetness.

Until then—

Where do you stand with tannins?
Are you into bold reds with grip—or soft, silky sips?
Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s spill it.

Hold the structure. Let the wine unfold.
– Tobi 🍷