Everyone knows that the tannins in the grape skins are “good”: softer, riper, more harmonious. The grape pip (seed) tannins are “bad”: more aggressive, harsher, and more difficult to integrate in the wine. That is, at least, what all winemakers tend to think. Are they all wrong? At a recent meeting at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) some participants argued that yes they are all wrong, and seed tannins are not bad but good. Seed tannins are, for example, shorter molecules compared to skin tannins, which is generally considered better.
So perhaps the world’s winemakers need to review the way the work with tannins and the way the macerate and extract their wines? Read more in Wines and Vines
