Tannin is one of the most interesting forces in wine. As a wine geek, I have always been fascinated by the way one bottle can glide across the palate while another seems to grip the gums and cheeks with almost physical force. That curiosity sent me deeper into the research, into papers on phenolics, saliva, astringency, extraction, serving temperature and the strange chemistry of how wine asserts texture. In wine, the word “tannin” usually refers to a family of phenolic compounds, especially condensed tannins or proanthocyanidins. These come mainly from grape skins and seeds, while stems can also contribute tannin…