Exactly What Are Wine Tannins And How Do They Affect Different Types Of Wine?
Ahh, yes, the tasty beverage that we all know and love.
Here at Pinot’s Palette, we’re HUGE fans of this time-honored drink (if you can’t tell by our name)! We love to sample different types, observe the various notes, and keep our customers in mind when we order new varieties. We know that everyone’s palate is different so we always try to have a wide selection to choose from when you come in for our painting and wine classes! While millions of people in the world, enjoy wine, only some of them know all of the in’s and out’s of it. There are some who will gladly take any type they are offered, as all wine is yummy to them; There are the people who know the kinds they like and don’t like and will try and stick with their favorites; Then there are the people who swirl, swish, and sniff, having learned a great deal about wines, perhaps through a tour or other experience and really know their stuff.
Whichever type of wine-drinker you may be, it’s always good to learn something new… especially if it’s about WIIIIINE!!
Today’s lesson is all about wine ‘tannins’.
Enjoy a little helpful information about what they are and you’re sure to give little more thought to the flavor of your wine (and tea) after learning all about them!
In wine, ‘Tannin' is a textural element that makes wine taste dry.
*While knowing what this term means is not a necessity for enjoying a glass of wine, it can help you better understand the wine you’re drinking and even why some wines may give you a headache.
'Tannin' is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves, and fruit skins.
(*For example, about 50% of the dry weight of plant leaves are tannin!).
As a characteristic of wine, tannin adds both bitterness and astringency, as well as complexity. Wine tannins are most commonly found in red wine, although some white wines have tannin too, from aging in wooden barrels or fermenting on skins.
*Helpful tip: If you want to try a trick that can help you recognize a tannin when you taste it, brew a cup of extra strong black tea. Tannins naturally occur in black tea and their characteristics emerge when the tea is brewed a few minutes longer than recommended. After brewing the tea, take a sip and you’ll immediately notice a slight bitterness in the middle of your tongue and a dryness in the front of your mouth — this is a tannin.
Tannins in wine come from two possible places: wine grapes and wood...
- What Are Grape Tannins?
Grape tannin comes from the skins, seeds, and stems of a wine grape. For this reason, red wines tend to have higher tannins than white wines because the extended contact of the grapes skins with the juice give the tannins time to dissolve in the alcohol and water in the wine.
Some types of wine have higher tannins than others. For example, Tannat is an uncommon red wine with some of the highest levels of tannin.
- What are Wood Tannins?
Wood tannins dissolve into wine through contact. Most commonly this happens when wine is stored in wooden barrels. Oak barrels are the most popular choice because of the flavors they add to wine such as vanillin.
Tannin powders, oak chips and oak staves are growing in popularity because they are more affordable. It is hard to say which is better, since an oak barrel can be used in winemaking for up to 70 years.
High Tannin Foods:
Tea Leaves
Walnuts, Almonds, and other whole nuts (with skins)
Dark Chocolate
Cinnamon, Clove, and other whole spices
Pomegranates, Grapes, and Açaí Berries
Quince
Red Beans
High Tannin Red Wines:
Nebbiolo
Cabernet Sauvignon
Monastrell
Montepulciano
Petit Verdot
Petite Sirah
Low Tannin Red Wines:
Barbera
Zinfandel/Primitivo
Pinot Noir
Gamay
Grenache
Foods that pair well with high-tannin wines:
A more tannic structure can certainly be a better accompaniment to meat or pasta dishes, and salads with olive oil vinaigrette dressing. Rich foods with complex, savory flavors are delightful with a nice glass of some high-tannin wine!
Check out a few of these recipes to try at home and pair with some wine for a delicious dinner for two or at your next gathering!
- Lamb Tagine: https://www....ves-and-lemon
- Garlic Chicken Wings: https://stea...en-wings.html
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew: https://damn...er-beef-stew/
- Olive, Tomato, & Goat Cheese tart: https://www....-cheese-tart/
- Blue Cheese Burgers: http://www.o...heese-burger/
- Paella: https://www....ecipe-2117628
In addition to enjoying some great wine.... why not come in to try your hand at a painting class?!
If you’ve never been to one of our painting and wine classes, you’ve been missing out!
As you can probably gather from our name, we’re a paint studio that serves wine. The ‘liquid courage’, as we call it, assists you in having the confidence you need to create a painting in a 2-3 hours class! The majority of our customers are first-timer painters so don’t be nervous about attending a class where the main objective is to create a painting. It’s always fun to try something new and see what you can do with it. Perhaps you have an inner-artist that you aren’t aware of. You might be surprised to learn that you really like to paint and it’s something that’s fun, creative, interesting, and relaxing for you. Bring all of your friends ands family in to paint along with you, as making memories and trying new things with loved ones is always a fun time! One of our talented instructors will walk you through the paining, step-by-step, encouraging you the whole way through. We’ll aways have plenty of help for you and your painting, should you need it, along with the rest of our helpful staff. We’ll recommend wines, refill your glasses, get you more paint, and of course, help you with your artwork!
Check out out calendar on the link at the bottom of the page to see all of the amazing classes we’re offering tons of amazing classes throughout the season! We've got some incredible Fall-inspired paintings that you're sure to love as you can make them and take home to displaying your house!
Fall Paintings: https://www....llthingscozy-
We hope to see you soon for a painting and wine class, whether you’re interested in one of the above-mentioned paintings or another one on our calendar! If you live in Tustin, we’re right around the corner from you, located in 'The District’, a great shopping center and entertainment hub in Orange County! We make the perfect event for everything from a fun and unique date night, an awesome girls’ night out experience, and we even offer private events! When you view our classes on our website, you’ll be viewing our schedule for our public classes, but you can also book a painting party with the guest list of your choice! Come in to celebrate a birthday, bridal shower, reunion, retirement, and more with friends and family, sharing their artistic sides, together. Make memories that will last a lifetime with a souvenir to treasure forever with one our classes.
*Learn more about our private parties, here:
https://www....ivate-parties
We also play host to some great corporate events, too! Why not book your next work party or team building event with us? We offer several styles of paintings that incorporate team building strategies, encouraging the whole office to work together, creating a stunning world of art!
*Read more about corporate events, here:
https://www....porate-events