"Wine Tannins give me Massive Headaches"🍷

As a low-intervention winemaker, that one caught me off guard.

I’ve heard people blame sugar, sulfites, even histamines. But tannins? Let’s talk about what they are—and what they’re not. 🧵

Tannins are natural compounds found in grape skins, seeds, stems, and oak barrels.

They aren’t about flavor—they’re about texture.

They’re much more present in red and orange wines than in whites or rosés, since those wines stay in contact with skins, seeds, stems, and oak barrels much longer.

I often hear people say a wine is dry, referring to that mouth-drying sensation you get from certain wines.

However, when a wine is dry, that means it isn’t sweet.

People who describe highly tannic wines this way aren't totally wrong because tannins bind to your saliva and do leave your mouth feeling dried out.

While a lot of the tannins in red wine do come from the grapes of oak barrel, then can also be added during winemaking—usually in powder form.

Most of these powders are derived from natural sources like oak or grape skins, and can support structure, aroma, and color without changing the identity of the wine.

I use oak-derived tannins in some of my wines, especially since I age in neutral barrels.

This helps me use less sulfur in my winemaking.

Tannins act more like a protective coating that helps show off the wine’s natural brilliance—not a tool for manipulation.

Most wine additives are used as part of a manipulation regime—designed to hit a target flavor profile, often at the expense of transparency.

And with over 70 approved additives that don’t have to be listed on a wine label, the real culprit behind your wine headache could be anything.

Tannins are different.

There is some nuance.

Hydrolyzable tannins like gallotannins (from oak galls or chestnut wood)—have been linked to mild inflammation or histamine release in sensitive individuals.

But they’re typically used in small amounts and are far less likely to be the issue than residual sugar, poor fermentation, or a cocktail of other additives.

Tannins aren’t usually the problem. The winemaking style might be.

Wine is complicated and often swept into a shroud of mystery to keep consumers in the dark.

But knowing a little can change a lot.

I’ll be sharing more about how to navigate additives, labels, and wine in general.

If this gave you value, please like or retweet that first post.