Do you know that feeling of astringency that you feel on your palate after drinking a glass of red wine? If you are a true wine lover, and an avid follower of Let It Wine, you will know that comes from tannins which are natural plant extracts found in grapes. Tannins mainly come from the skin of a grape, as well as the stalks and grape seeds from the bunch. This is why there are more prominent in red wines, which are made by macerating the grape must with the grape skins, unlike white wines which are completely separated. This would lead us to wonder how it is possible for a white wine to have tannins? Well in actual fact, even white wines have tannins, albeit a much milder version than that of a red wine. Tso mild that they are practically imperceptible to human senses. Both red and white wine need substances to slow down their oxidation and protect them from unwanted aging. This is to prevent your prestigious red wine from turning into an expensive bottle of vinegar. This is how the added tannins, also completely natural, come into play, deriving from oak, chestnut and myrobalan wood. They are called "hydrolysable tannins" because, in the presence of acids such as those present in wine, they are hydrolyzed (that is to say: they are added, of course, water molecules) in sugars such as glucose and in ellagic or Gallic acids. Do not worry: we end the explanations too technical and refer you to the appropriate oenology manuals. Here we are interested in understanding the effects of these tannins and why they are used. White wines often have “added tannins” that are completely natural and usually come from aging in oak, chestnut and myrobalan wood. These are called “hydrolysable tannins” because they are hydrolyzed into sugar in the presence of acid. But we are interested in the effects of tannins in white wine, particularly those that do not have the same characteristics and astringency as those found in red wine.  The sensory effect on our palate is much softer and almost imperceptible but they are there and the function is anti-oxidative, protecting the wine from unwanted developments, all the while stabilizing its color. White wines intended for aging often have these added tannins which harmonize the wine. SO yes, white wine does have tannins!