Let's Talk About Tannins

I'm not about to write up a post on  the chemical makeup of tannins; I don't find that helpful for the purposes of this blog. I'm here to give you examples of why my taste buds like tannins, and why it's only natural that I veer toward red wines with higher tannin levels. Perhaps it'll help you, too, when deciding on reds.

I like the skin of mangoes more than I like the sweet meat of mangoes.
I'll often eat the skin off of a grape before eating said grape.
I prefer my tea unsweetened.
I love neat bourbon and also bitters.
I really dislike dark chocolate.
Cinnamon can be overpowering.

What do all of these things have in common? They taste like tannins. Tannins are in tree bark, in fruit skins, and in other plants.

Tannins are usually referred to in red wines, and that's where I got the other half of the name of this blog from. I prefer full-bodied red wines, such as California Cabernet Sauvignons and Argentinian Malbecs, although I will drink pretty much any red wine out there. Once I found out what tannins were, it wasn't a surprise that I tend to like a lot of drinks on the bitter side. Have a look at the chart below. What red do you fancy?