Tannin, Acidity and Body, Explained in Plain Words

Wine vocabulary can sound like a private club. It is not. Three words do most of the work when professionals describe a wine's structure, and each one corresponds to something you have already felt, whether in a cup of strong tea, a squeeze of lemon or a glass of whole milk. Once you connect the word to the sensation, you will notice it in every glass.

Tannin: the grip

Tannins are natural compounds found mainly in grape skins, seeds and stems, and also in oak barrels. They bind to proteins in your saliva, which is why a young, tannic red leaves your gums dry and your tongue slightly rough, exactly like over-brewed black tea. Red wines are fermented with their skins, so they carry far more tannin than whites. The second step is to watch how it evolves: tannin can feel coarse in a young wine and smooth years later, so the same bottle can taste very different with time.

• Famously tannic grapes: Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Sagrantino.
• Gentle, silky grapes: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Grenache.
• Quality is not quantity: fine tannins feel like velvet; coarse ones feel like sandpaper.
• With bottle age, tannins tend to soften and the wine feels smoother.

Tannin is not a flavour. It is a texture, and texture is what separates a good wine from a memorable one.

Acidity: the freshness

Every wine is acidic; the question is how much. Acidity is what makes your mouth water after a sip and what keeps a wine tasting lively rather than flat. Grapes from cooler climates usually keep more of it, which is why a Riesling from the Mosel or a Chablis can feel electric while a white from a hot region feels softer. Winemakers in warm regions sometimes pick earlier to protect it, because a wine without enough acidity tastes heavy and short.

• Test: after you swallow, count how long your mouth keeps watering.
• High-acid whites: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Albariño.
• High-acid reds: Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Pinot Noir.
• Acidity is also a key reason some wines age gracefully for decades.

Body: the weight, and how to use all three

• Body is how heavy the wine feels: skimmed milk is light, whole milk is medium, cream is full.
• Alcohol is the biggest driver; sugar and extract add weight too.
• Pair tannin with protein and fat: a structured red and a grilled steak flatter each other.
• Pair acidity with salt, fat and creamy sauces; match body to the weight of the dish.
• Enjoy wine slowly and in moderation, with food and water on the table.