Ep 099: What is Tannin?

You may think you know everything you need to know about tannin but in what could be our dorkiest podcast yet, we share a bunch of nerdy facts about tannin. And the show outline:

What are tannins?

  • They're the stuff that makes your mouth feel dry or pucker after you drink a red wine or a white that’s been aged in oak.
  • They are polyphenols – Chemical compounds in reds that easily bind to stuff, change often 
  • They affect color, flavor, and structure of the wine and act as a preservative – tannic wines can be cellared for a long time
  • They are Important in food and wine pairing – protein helps minimize tannins

Where do tannins come from?:

  • Found in skin, stems, seeds or from barrels or wood chips (tannin powder in the cheap wine)
  • Some words on tanning leather and how tannins impact animal skins
  • Vineyard management and winemaking

We then cover tannic food and high tannin wines including the big four:

  • Nebbiolo
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Tannat
  • Syrah

Enjoy and please drop any comments or questions here or on Facebook or Twitter!

Om Podcasten

A podcast for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. I talk about wine in a fun, straightforward, normal way to get you excited about it and help you drink better, more interesting stuff. About half the shows feature guests and are informal but educational discussions between me and a passionate wine friend –they aren't interviews. All guests are personal friends or friends of friends in wine so like any conversation between friends, we’ll talk back and forth, interrupt each other, laugh and have fun, debate tough questions, voice our opinions, and most of all, enjoy sharing our time together and with you! The Wine For Normal People book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many local booksellers. Back catalog available on Patreon.com/winefornormalpeople