What are tannins?

Tannins are like tiny sticky helpers that make things feel more firm and lasting.

Imagine you're drinking a cup of tea. The longer it steeps, the less sweet it tastes and the more bitter it becomes, that's tannins at work! They’re found in lots of plants, like tea leaves, grapes, and even oak trees.

Tannins are tiny molecules that love to stick to other things. When they get into your mouth, they grab onto proteins in your tongue, making it feel rough or dry, just like when you eat a lemon and your lips feel tight.

In wine, tannins come from the grape skins and the wooden barrels the wine is aged in. They make the wine taste more robust and help it last longer without going bad.

Think of tannins like the glue in a puzzle. If you have a puzzle with pieces that keep slipping out, you might use some glue to hold them together. Tannins are like that glue, they stick things together and make things more solid and lasting.