Tannin Level

Tannin is a substance found to naturally occur in grapes, tealeaves and oak.  In wine, tannin is derived from the pips, skins and stalks of grapes. It is the culprit behind the puckering of gums and the ‘dry mouth’ sensation experienced when drinking wine. In red wine especially, tannin acts as a preservative, which is why high tannin wines tend to age the best for long periods of time. Perhaps most importantly, tannin is what gives wine its structure and backbone.

When deciding on the tannin level of your wine, it’s important to keep your winemaking goals in mind. Do you want to produce a wine that you can immediately open, or do you plan to age your wine for five years? Do you prefer astringent wine or a wine that is mellower? Although some people love a high-tannin wine, such as a bitter Cabernet Sauvignon, others prefer a wine that is less astringent.

Because tannin occurs in both grapes and in oak, your choice of oak barrel or toasted oak chips to age your wine, will also affect the tannin levels of your wine. Our winemakers at Vintners own will note your preferences to craft a wine to your tastes.

Alcohol

The amount of sugar in the grapes determines what the final alcohol level will be, because of this, the conversion of sugar to alcohol is a vital step in the process of making wine. The control and daily monitoring of fermentation is a huge part of our focus at Vintners Own during the winemaking process. Our resident winemakers will work with you to attain a desired alcohol level through grape selection and potential dilution.

When considering the alcohol level of your wine, its helpful to imagine the alcohol as the "carrier" of your wine. Its job is to balance all of the flavors and aromas in wine.  If, For example, your goal is to make a wine with a high percentage of alcohol, your wine will require increased flavor concentration and body to carry and balance the higher alcohol concentration.

Oak Flavor

Different types of Oak will yield different characteristics in your wine, but in general oak maturation impacts the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It gives aromas of butter, toffee, caramel, vanilla, spice and butterscotch. The strength of these flavors can vary depending on the level of "oakiness" you want in your wine. The winemaking staff at Vintners Own will work with you to help you make these decisions. 

Oak barrels are lightly charred or “toasted” with fire on the inside of the barrel to increase the flavor of wine. Barrels can be lightly toasted, medium toasted, or heavily toasted. Typically the "lighter" the toasting the more oak flavor and tannins that are imparted. Heavy toast or "charred" which is typical treatment of barrels in Burgundy wine have an added dimension from the char that medium or light toasted barrels do not impart. Heavy toasting dramatically reduces the coconut note lactones,  and may reduce the coloring of some wines. 

Acidity

The acidity level of wine is what gives fruit its refreshing, flavorsome sensation. Without it fruit would seem overly sweet, a little like the sensation derived from drinking the sugary fruit syrup in which some canned fruit is presented. Just like fruit, wine also requires acidity. Too little, and it will seem dull, or flabby, particularly if it is a sweet wine. To much, and the wine will be sharp, harsh and undrinkable. Our goal is to reach the right balance of acidity, alcohol, oakiness and tannin to create a fine balance for your wine.