What is Tannin in Red Wine?
Some of you wine drinkers have heard it said before. Someone was offered a glass of red wine and says “I can’t drink that, the tannins contribute to my headache.” What are tannins in the first place? Where do they come from? Are tannins present only in red wine, or can you find them in other things as well? The truth is, tannins are found in several other things. These include the leaves which are used in herbal tea as well as the different grapes used in various wines Tannins are a natural defensive by-product which is made by these plants in order to keep the herbivores from eating them. Long before they were recognized ingredients in wine, tannins were utilized to tan animal hides and make them into leather. How tannin work? The principle in which tannins work is by breaking down the digestive processes of those creatures which are trying to eat them. Tannins essentially cause the predator’s mouth to have an astringent feeling (think of that puckery feeling in your lips whenever you
