Term for a specific subgroup of plant polyphenols that play an important role in grapes and wine in terms of structure, flavour and ageing potential. The term "tannin" comes from the French "tanin" (tanning agent) and was coined in the 18th century; it is originally derived from the Gallic word for oak, as oak bark was the classic source of substances used for tanning leather.

The term tannins largely overlaps with the term tannins and has a more positive, quality-related connotation in viticulture, especially in the German-speaking world, while tannins are understood to be more technical or even negative (unpleasant). The terms phenols, tannins and tannins are often used interchangeably as synonyms, although chemically they are not completely congruent.
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Thomas Götz
Weinberater, Weinblogger und Journalist; Schwendi