Tannin 101

How To Detect Tannins In Wine

You can detect tannins by how drying a wine feels — it sometimes feels as if they’ve vacuumed all the saliva right out of your mouth! It’s easiest to notice this sensation on your gums and upper inner lips! Similar to the astringent and drying sensation, you get siping black tea (especially if the tea is cold) or eating a square of dark chocolate. Note: It's important to note the difference between bitterness and astringency. Bitterness refers to taste, whereas astringency refers to the feeling - a tactile sensation.

Pairing Tannin With Food

Tannins were built to pair with rich and/or fatty foods. This is because tannins love to bind to proteins. In fact, if there aren't proteins from something you're eating, tannins will simply bind to the proteins in your saliva! (This is what causes the drying sensation, as the tannins bind to protein molecules in your mouth.) When tannin molecules bind onto proteins, they cancel each other out. It also creates a palate-cleansing effect - your palate won't get tired of the weighty flavours (since they are scraped from your palate) and instead will be stimulated to take another bite! Also, the wine’s astringency counteracts fattiness, creating a perfectly balanced (using the contrasting formula) pairing. The brilliance of a fatty steak paired with Cabernet is not just a classic, it's science! Note: Wagyu steak sold separately!

Three Gripping Thrillers

1. Domaine Cécile Paquet Bourgogne Rouge 2021 This is a lovely, wild, lean and slightly green Pinot from Cécile. Notes of damp earth and truffle interlace with hints of wild strawberry. With ripping tartness and taut, lean, crunchy charm. This is elegant and fresh. 2. Early Rider Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 Early Rider's Cab is bursting with ripe blackcurrant, cherry and plum, with a touch of tomato leaf and cedar spice. It's super fresh with silky tannins, loads of juicy fruit and a smooth, balanced finish. An absolute must-try! 3. Quinta do Casal Branco Touriga Nacional 2022 It's in wines like this that we can truly appreciate why this grape variety is the darling of Portugal. This is a classic, with notes of violets and blueberry compote underpinned by an intense blast of lavender and purple florality. Beautifully structured.