Benefits of wine

Wine is currently known to help the heart by preventing the hardening of the arteries. This is possible because the tannins in the wine provide certain chemical properties that help prevent the hardening of arteries. These tannins also contain anti-oxident properties that prevent cellular damage. More detailed information can be found here.

This is where it gets interesting for me, what are tannins? Simply, they provide that grip on the tongue, or dryness. I like to best describe it as velcro on your tongue. The more tannin in the wine, the more dryness on your tongue. The tannins come from the skin, seed and stalk of grapes, see picture below. Apologies for the quality, picture taken on the phone. 

Geddes, R 2011, A good nose and great legs

Next time you have a grape, as unpleasant as it may seem, bite down on the seeds and feel what textures you are left with. Do the same with the skin and the little stalk that is left on the end of the grape. This is what generates tannin in the wine and the more contact the wine has with these elements of the grape the more tannin there is going to be in the wine.

Now that we know what tannins are and what they do for us not only in our mouths but for our bodies, we can now appreciate wine even more. Enjoy your next glass!

Peace