Banfi Vintners

Grape tannins, wood tannins and your heart, oh my!

Tannin is also an extractable component of the oak barrel.

If a white wine has no skin contact, it is devoid of tannin, however; if that white wine is placed into an oak barrel for fermentation or aging — it picks up tannin!

Most individuals who do not like red wine or oaky whites do not like the tannic aspect of those wines, that is to say, the astringency and the bitterness. Nonetheless, these components are incredibly good for you. They keep your heart healthy.

When it tastes so good and hurts so bad…

“Wine is the most healthful and hygienic of beverages,” stated Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (1822-1895). Yet, why is it that when it tastes so good, and is reputedly so good for you, that you hurt so badly the next day?

Quantity?
Although wine is mostly comprised of water the alcohol it contains is dehydrating. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water for every glass of wine and know when to say when.

Histamines?
These vaso-constrictors are more often found in red wine than in white and are much more prevalent in red wine from hot growing areas that undergo hot fermentations. Vaso-constrictors constrict blood vessels and can result in a headache.

Sulfites?
As a rule, white wines tend to have more sulfites than red wine and sweet wines have the most of all.

  • Winemakers add more sulfur to those wines with residual sugar in order to offset microbial spoilage.
  • Winemakers need to add less sulfur to red wine due to the natural anti-microbial properties of tannin already present in the wine.

Tannin?
Recent research is investigating a link between tannin and migraine activity. Results, at present, are inconclusive.

Aldehydes?
Aldehydes are oxidized alcohols and are more toxic to the human system than alcohol. All wines that undergo the controlled oxidation that occurs during barrel aging will pick up some aldehydes.

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Wine casks impart more tannin when new than when used; therefore, barrel age impacts the amount of tannin in the finished wine — as does the actual amount of time spent in wood.

If you are looking for heart-healthy reds, but dislike the astringency associated with them, try the following:

  • Gamay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Valpolicella
  • Bardolino
  • Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, such as Placido Primavera
  • Dolcetto
  • Some Merlots such as Sartori from the Veneto or Stonehaven from Australia
  • Some Sangiovese and Sangiovese blends, such as Centine from Tuscany or Cecchi Sangiovese

There are about 100 calories and 1-1.5 grams of carbohydrate in a five-ounce glass of dry table wine.

Up until 1970, wine bottles could range in size from 650 to 850 ml. Standard size is now 750 ml.

In the 17th century, it was illegal to sell wine in a bottle because bottles had varying capacities. People bought wine by the measure, then had the wine put into their own proprietary bottles.

Corks are made from the spongy outer bark of the cork oak tree. What’s remarkable about these trees is that the oak grows back and the trees can live for at least 300 years.

Cork does not allow the wine to breathe. The controlled oxidation story is a myth. If air was allowed into the bottle, the cork would be a poor closure indeed!

The cork became the mainstream closure of choice for the wine bottle in the 1700s a shift that had much to do with the ability of the glassmakers to produce a uniform and consistent bottleneck size.