TANNINS & ENOLOGY

Tannins, naturally found in grape skins, seeds, and stems, are key to a wine’s structure, flavor, and aging potential. They influence everything from colour stability to mouthfeel, while also protecting wine quality during production and storage. 

• Colour Stabilisation: Tannins help preserve the vibrant hues of red wines and the brightness of whites by forming stable complexes with natural pigments. This not only enhances appearance but also improves the wine’s longevity.
• Flavour & Mouthfeel: They add structure, smoothness, and complexity, introducing pleasant vanilla or licorice notes and softening harsh or herbaceous flavors. The right balance brings roundness and depth to the palate.
• Antioxidant Protection: Tannins defend against oxidation, one of wine’s biggest enemies, by inhibiting enzymes like tyrosinase and laccase. This protection helps maintain the wine’s aroma, taste, and freshness over time.
• Clarifying Effect: By binding to unstable proteins, tannins naturally clarify must and wine. This also creates the familiar astringency on the palate, contributing to a clean, crisp finish.
• Metal Chelation: They can bind with metals such as copper and iron, forming stable complexes that remove excess metals and improve taste balance.
• Microbial Control: Tannins work alongside other preservatives to inhibit unwanted microorganisms, helping maintain wine stability during storage and aging.

Beer, one of the oldest processed alcoholic beverages of our society, finds it origins about 9.000 BC. Over many centuries beer was stored in a large barrel like recipients of various natures and consumed locally shortly after production. In the 20th century, with mass marketing, available technology, and refrigeration, beer was stored aside from kegs in bottles and transported over longer distances, gradually all over the world, hence the need for stabilization of the typical lager beer. The physical, as well as organoleptic stability of beer, is obtained through the dosing of high purity gallotannins at single or multiple steps in the beer process.

The tannins added at different stages of the brewing process helps in: 

• Clarification & Stability: Reduces haze and improves visual clarity.
• Shelf-Life Protection: Acts as antioxidant, prolongs flavor and quality.
• Foam & Texture: Adds body and mouthfeel—but must be balanced carefully
• Metal Control: Removes metals that degrade taste and clarity
• Process Enhancements: Boosts yield, filtration efficiency, and maturation