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Elements of wine: Tannin
Wine has five components that determine taste and quality: alcohol, acid, tannin, sweetness/dryness, and fruitiness. This is the third part of a five-part podcast/post series, and the subject is tannins.
Tannins, acidity, and alcohol comprise wine’s soul, with acidity most important in whites and tannins most important in reds.
Tannin is not really a taste, but a tactile sensation on your tongue and cheek. Drink tea brewed too long—the mouth-puckering sensation is tannin. The name comes from the Latin word for oak bark, which was used in tanning animal hides into leather. In plants, tannins play a role in discouraging predation by animals and insects.
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