Ask a Wino – November ’08

With Christine Go

So you’re a wino…are you also a foodie? I am, and I’m betting that you are, too. That’s a good thing, since wine is meant to go with food. In my last column, I explained a bit about food and wine pairing, which all boils down to chemistry. Serve the right wine with the right food, and both the food and the wine will taste better, due to the chemical components in each, for example, tannins in red wine, and fat in rich foods. Now I’m not saying that there’s only one perfect wine for each dish, but if you try different wines with your favorite food, you’ll find that some combinations will simply taste better than others. Or, if you agree with me that you should drink what you like, then do what I do, try different foods with your favorite wine to find out what pairing tastes best to you, and plan your next dinner party menu around the wine instead of the food. Isn’t that more fun anyway? Send your comments and questions to askawino@winomagazine.com.

What the heck are tannins? Are they good or bad or both?

You hear a lot about tannins in relation to the mouthfeel of a wine (smooth vs. harsh). Have you ever tasted a red wine, and noticed a dryness in your mouth? That astringent effect is caused by tannins, which are plant-based polyphenols that bind proteins.

But enough with the technical stuff; here’s the non-technical definition: tannins are chemical substances found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes, as well as in wood barrels. Red wines have higher levels of tannins than white wines because grape skins are left in contact with the wine during the winemaking process (the skins give the wine its color). Oak barrels, used to age wine, also provide some tannins.

Red wine is good for you. Why? Because red wine contains tannins, and tannins are antioxidants (another reason why you can age red wine), so enjoy that glass of Syrah. On the other hand, tannins can be bad, particularly if you drink a Nebbiolo while eating seafood (yuck!), or if the tannin level of the wine is out of balance with the wine’s other components (fruit, acid, alcohol).

In your last column, you said that tannic red wines don’t pair well with fish. Why not?

If you want your fish and your wine to taste like they came out of a can, then have a Cab with your cod. That metallic taste is caused by the tannins in the red wine reacting with the iodine in the fish. The old “white with seafood” adage started because most un-oaked whites don’t have tannins, but that doesn’t mean you have to drink only white wine with seafood. Rosé is always an option, and there are several red wines which can work: Pinot Noir with salmon is a classic pairing, because the acidity of the wine is a good match for the richness of the fish. Barbera is another wine to try, because it has good acidity and low tannins. It really all depends on the type of seafood and how it’s prepared. Salmon, mackerel, and tuna are richer, more fatty fish, so they do well with red wine. With lighter styles of seafood (crab, lobster, white fish), I’d stick to a white. It’s always good to know “the rules,” but ultimately, you always should drink what you like.

How long can I store wine? Does it have something to do with tannins?

This is a tough one to answer, since there are no absolute rules. Generally speaking, the whole point of aging a wine is to allow the tannins to soften, and the flavors to become more complex. Market research has shown that most wine is consumed within a day or so after purchase, so some winemakers have adapted their winemaking styles. The result: more “drink now” wines which are lower in tannins, and won’t require aging. The flip side is that aging those wines won’t make them taste better, because tannins with their natural antioxidant properties allow wine to age.

Most whites and some reds with low tannin levels (e.g. Beaujolais Nouveau) don’t need to be aged, so drink them young. Some whites (oak-aged Chardonnay, Riesling) can be aged for a few years. Cheap red wines won’t improve with aging, so enjoy them sooner rather than later. Well-made red wines will taste great now, especially if you decant the wine to let the oxygen smooth the tannins, but generally improve with age, since the tannins will soften over time. Recently, I was lucky enough to try a 1974 Bordeaux (thanks, Harry!) and it was delicious.

Also, how you store the wines will play a huge part in how long you can age them. Exposure to light and fluctuations in temperature will age a wine more quickly. The size of the bottle will affect aging; the bigger the bottle, the slower it ages, so drink those half bottles before drinking magnums.

Bottomline: when in doubt, drink it up! It’s much better to drink a wine too young than to wait until it’s past its prime.

In the Wine Know

Polyphenols:

There are three types of Polyphenols: tannins, lignins and flavonoids. Condensed tannins make the biggest appearance, found in almost all families of plants, and making up 50% of the dry weight of leaves. Polyphenols were once known as Vitamin P, and they have many well-established health benefits, such as antioxidant characteristics. New studies are released all the time about the health benefits of polyphenols in red wine.