Oenological tannin

Tannin, oak and mouthfeel

grape, skin or seed tannin, condensed tannin

Adds structure, stabilises colour and mops up oxygen.

Typical dose

Fermentation tannins roughly 0.1 to 0.4 g/L; finishing tannins less, bench-trialled.

When to add it

Fermentation tannins at the crush; finishing tannins before bottling.

In practice

Condensed tannins from grapes bind with anthocyanins to lock in red colour, add grip a thin wine lacks, and consume oxygen. Added at the crush they help extraction and colour; added late they adjust structure and can overshoot into hardness, so the late dose is small and trialled.

Oxidation All additives

Linked faults are the ones this addition either treats or, used wrongly, causes. The fault page says which, and whether it can be undone.

Others in tannin, oak and mouthfeel

Oak tannin

Adds firmness and oxidation resistance, with a faint oak signature.

Gum arabic

A colloid that rounds mouthfeel and holds colour, added at the very end.

Oak chips, cubes and staves

Flavour and structure from oak without the cost or over-oaking of a barrel.