| Some of the highest vineyards in California initially | | | | Microscopic Bubbles |
| thought their altitude was too much of a good | | | | In an effort to produce agreeably smooth wine |
| thing. As is common in mountain vineyards, the | | | | for consumers and wine of the month club |
| grapes are small causing a high ratio of skin to | | | | members, California winemakers have become |
| juice. From the skins, red wine takes its color, | | | | acquainted with the research of Madiran |
| flavor, depth, and tannins, which contribute to that | | | | winemaker, Patric du Courneau, in the traditional |
| grainy, sometimes abrasive texture in the mouth, | | | | oxygenation practices of racking, topping, and |
| which is not desired by most consumers or wine | | | | splashing wine so it incorporates oxygen. He then |
| clubs. | | | | created a process by which oxygen could be |
| While all of these elements, together with acid, | | | | added to wine in precise amounts so the |
| define the quality of a wine, tannins that are | | | | winemaker could track precisely the correct |
| overly apparent can ruin the balance of the wine | | | | amount for a given varietal. |
| and mar the tasting experience. Since winemakers | | | | Oxygen is added through a membrane with |
| ferment white wine without the skins, only red | | | | microscopic holes that works to regulate the |
| wine requires tanning management. This article | | | | oxygen through a dispenser. It keeps creating |
| provides a look at why the tannins of a wine are | | | | microscopic bubbles of oxygen that are released |
| so important and details the process involved in | | | | into the wine. If you look at the surface of the |
| tanning management. | | | | wine, nothing comes to the top. It's not even |
| Something Old And Something New | | | | frothing, because all of it is completely absorbed |
| Traditionally, winemakers have used various | | | | into the wine. |
| techniques to control tannins, ageing the finished | | | | Monster Tannins |
| wine for consumers or wine of the month club | | | | As winemakers keep following the wine and |
| members being one of them. As red wine ages, | | | | modifying the amount of oxygen that it takes, |
| the tanning molecules link up, growing heavy as | | | | gradually these monster tannins start to move in |
| they aggregate, and eventually falling out of | | | | the mouth when you taste them. Green tannins, |
| solution, becoming sediment at the bottom of the | | | | or small molecules, are bitter and astringent with |
| bottle. During the winemaking process, oxygen | | | | the astringency centered around the lips in the |
| can mitigate the effect of tannins, so winemakers | | | | front of the mouth. |
| use various techniques to force air into the wine, | | | | As this oxygenation technique goes on, the |
| for example moving it (racking) from barrel to | | | | sensation of the tannins start moving backward |
| barrel at intervals. | | | | on the palate. So you start to feel it more on the |
| Winemakers have begun to implement new | | | | roof of your mouth, and then on the sides and |
| research on tanning management, as consumers | | | | the top of the tongue, and then gradually it |
| began to pick up 750 ml bottles of wine for | | | | moves back. The tannins go through phases, |
| evening meals at the same time they purchased | | | | starting with what we call green or hard tannins, |
| the meal's ingredients. In other words, consumers | | | | then evolved tannins, and then eventually into |
| had neither the time, space, nor the inclination to | | | | melted tannins, in four or five phases. |
| age red wine until it became pleasingly smooth, | | | | Micro oxygenation is a simple, but very advanced |
| even those belonging to wine clubs. Additionally, | | | | wine theory. While it is considered a cutting edge |
| Americans have a tendency to drink even red | | | | winemaking process since few wineries have |
| wine without food as they would a cocktail. In the | | | | experimented with it, as far as technology goes, |
| absence of food, tannins are even more apparent. | | | | it's a low tech process that benefits consumers. |