What the hell do wine writers mean when they describe wine with adjectives like “mellow,” “crispy,” or “meaty”? Don’t those words describe chocolate brownies, raw carrots and T-bone steaks, not alcoholic liquid?
The tannins cause the unexpected lingo. Tannins are a group of astringent polyphenolic chemical compounds that bind to proteins and other organic compounds. Astringency causes a dry, wrinkled feeling when you drink red wine. You also taste tannins in the tea and unripe fruit.
The word comes from the medieval Latin word for oak bark, which was used to tan animal skins into leather. The tannins in wine come from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes, also from oak barrels.
When you drink wine, the proteins in your saliva interact with the tannins. At higher concentrations, tannins remove your watery mouth to create a dry mouth feeling, which creates an instinctive desire to chew. The binding of saliva proteins to tannins also creates a crunchy or meaty sensation. And so the descriptor terms of wine.
People typically associate tannins with wine and tea, but tannins are in noticeable concentrations in other common foods. Walnuts, almonds, and other whole nuts contain tannins in their skins. Dark chocolate has tannins. Cinnamon, cloves and other whole spices have tannins. The same goes for pomegranates and acai berries.
The jury is still out on wine tannins and migraines. If you think tannins are causing your migraines, you need to stop consuming tannin-rich foods, not just wine.
If you’re embracing tannins in wine, Tannat – Uruguay’s signature grape – and Sagrantino from central Italy are by far the most tannic wines. In descending order of these leaders come Petite Sirah, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Mourvèdre/Monastrell.
There are low tannic red wines. They include Barbera, Bobal, Bonarda, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Cinsault, Valpolicella, Gamay and Pinot Noir. Merlot is a medium tannin grape, but it is often made in a low tannin style in the cellar.
Chew and crunch this information to arrive at the meat of what you love in wine.
Tasting notes
• 19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon 2020: simple and jammy introduction to red wine. $8-12
• Tilia Estate Bonarda, Mendoza 2020: a tasty and affordable way to discover the bonarda grape. $9-12
• Robert Mondavi The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, To Kalon Vineyard 2017: Defines the difference between a good cabin and an exceptional cabin. $150-175
Links to reviews
www.gusclemensonwine.com/19-crimes-cabernet-sauvignon-2020/#more-15614
www.gusclemensonwine.com/tilia-estate-bonarda-mendoza-2020/#more-15630
www.gusclemensonwine.com/robert-mondavi-the-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon-to-kalon-vineyard-2017/#more-15645
Last round
When do you go red and stop green? When you eat watermelon. Wine time.
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