【Wine 101】Learn about Wine Structure, Tannins and Wine Body

As Master of Wine Mary Gorman-McAdams once said, ‘the structure of a wine is its hardware, the physical structure that gives it shape or outline, much like the brickwork or walls of a house’. The structure plays an important role in the quality and ageability of the wine, and the flavours are the ‘furnishings to fill out the “house” to give it a unique personality’.

The structure of a wine is often viewed as the relationship between tannin, acidity, and alcohol. They will interact with each other to influence the perception of the wine. A well-structured wine will have an even balance in tannin, acidity, and alcohol, giving you the craving for more and more.

Tannin is a common term often used during the tasting of red wine. When tasting the wine, there may be an astringent mouthfeel. This feel is contributed by tannins. Tannins mainly come from grape skin, seed, and stem, and the process of oak aging. They are important in building the structure of a wine, and the resulting complexity and ageing potential. Grapes with high tannins can be made into age-worthy wine more easily, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo.

When we taste wine, we may hold the wine in the mouth. Your mid-palate and the front part of your mouth cavity would feel dry and astringent, and that’s because of tannins. A stronger feeling means more powerful tannins. However, tannins would be softened as wine aeration increases. It is a fun part of wine tasting to observe how the wine evolves! Wine with high tannins goes well with high protein and fatty food, such as steak. The fat in steak can soften the tannins in wine. So, try a Cabernet Sauvignon with steak to experience the “chemistry”!

Many people may confuse the wine body with wine structure. The wine body is how heavy or light a wine tastes. They can be classified into the 3 most basic categories: light-bodied, medium-bodied, and full-bodied. Some compare them to the mouthfeel distinction among water, skimmed milk, and whole milk. A light-bodied wine tends to have a mouthfeel similar to water. The wine body is determined by various factors, such as grape variety, winemaking, wine region, alcohol level, sweetness level, etc. A light-bodied wine, for example, German Riesling, is often elegant in style. But if it’s not supported by sufficient flavours, it will feel thin and too simple. Red wine tends to have a thicker wine body than white wine, and Pinot Noir from Burgundy is a classic example of medium-bodied red.