Tannin Descriptions

What is the difference between different descriptions of tannins? Chewy, fine, structured, etc… is that something you FEEL as you try a wine, or do you taste it, or what?

feel and taste. You develop the vocabulary over time and learn that they are round, resolved, rough, grainy, etc. Tea is a great way to taste tannin.

FWIW I’ve never developed a wide TN vocabulary of type of tannins, preferring instead to focus more on what they contribute to the wine as a whole, so mainly it’s about their strength, though I might talk of bitterness from tannins, or rustic tannins. I know there are people who will describe them in a range (e.g.) from velvety, through fine grained to angular/chunky. If that works for you, then go for it.

Anyone ever classify not by flavor profile of tannin, but the dryness sensation on the sides of the tongue?

Hi Adam
If that’s something like no tannic grip, slight grip, moderately grippy, firm grip, astringent, who stole all the moisture from my mouth?!!!, then that’s a reasonable way to look at it.

Always this will be in the context of the wine as a whole, as moderate tannins in a light ‘nouveau’ red, or skin contact ‘orange’ wine might stand out boldly, whereas firmer tannins in a boldly fruited red wine might be harder to spot. Then food can make a massive difference - notably spicy food which can make a tannic wine feel awkward, whereas roasted or grilled red meat can eat up the tannins.

Regards
Ian

Hello, i’m very new to all of this and as I read I keep expecting something to click, an “Ah-hah” moment as Oprah used to say. And honestly the more I read the more complex and diverse it becomes

Hi Dave
Not an unusual experience. It keeps it all interesting.

All I’d say is take it at a pace that suits you. Simply recognising what tannins are is a great start point, though it seems to come easier to people who drink strong tea!

Regards
Ian

Following up on Ian’s post, the best way I’ve found to understand structure in wine is to start with a pot of strong tea. Drink some straight, and you get the unmistakable mouth-drying feel and bitterness of the tannin. Add some sugar and the bitterness is moderated. Add some lemon juice and you both pick up the physical sensation of the acidity and the tea tastes less sweet even though the amount of sugar hasn’t changed.

I wish I could remember where I first read about this about 25 years ago so I could give proper credit, but unfortunately the substance left more of an impression than the author’s name.

Hey Matt–here’s a great Clark Smith article where he gives names for tannins at different points in development of a wine: Astringency And Harmony In Tannins - Wines Vines Analytics.

Fair amount of chemistry in the article, but not needed for the definitions.

Sounds a little like what Michael Schuster described as a taste experiment in Essential Winetasting.