Tannins occur naturally in plants and wine grapes. Tannins in wine are mainly water-soluble polyphenols which have remarkable antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial properties. Why do some people avoid high-tannin wines despite all these benefits?  

You are a Supertaster

About 25% of people are highly sensitive to bitter tastes, a group known as "supertasters." If you are not a fan of high-bitter beer, kale, black coffee and chicory, you probably fall into this category. The tannins found in grape stems and seeds are often bitter.  

You Have Tannin-sensitivity  

While little research has been done on this topic, one study did demonstrate that ingested tannins may affect energy metabolism, growth rate, and protein digestibility in animals in the laboratory. If your body suffers from indigestion and you are highly sensitive to tea, coffee, red wine, cinnamon and chocolate, this could be you.  

Can High Tannins Cause Alcohol Headaches?

There is no evidence that tannins cause headaches. It's possible that you're sensitive to amines in wine, such as tyramine, that can cause inflammation. Yet most people do not drink enough water for wine tasting.  

Tips for Finding Wine with Low Tannin

Since tannins are considered a positive characteristic of wine, giving the final product some ageing value. You will find that more expensive wine has higher tannin. Of course, the quality of the wine will also improve with the growth of the year. Therefore, tannins in older wines are usually less bitter.  

In general, cheaper wines tend to have lower tannins. One of the biggest reasons is that increased grape yields have reduced the amount of polyphenol in a single grape. If you don't want to have more tannins, the most straightforward way is to drink more white wine or rosé wine. Since tannins are extracted from grape skins, seeds and stems, most of these substances will come into contact with red wine during fermentation.

Lydia Zhao POINT PLUME