SEATTLE (May 1, 2025)—Washington winemakers are invited to register for an upcoming webinar focused on managing tannins in the winery on May 14, 2025, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Webinar content stems from a four-year research project led by Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, emeritus professor, University of California, Davis, and Dr. Jim Harbertson, enology professor, Washington State University. The collaborative project explored chemical reactions and sensorial impacts of chemically modified tannins created as wine aged in bottles, and tracked the formation of tannins that had been chemically modified in commercial wines aged up to 20 years.
Condensed tannins are phenolics that cause the tactile sensation and astringency that are important to red wine mouthfeel. As wines age in bottles, tannins in the wine undergo chemical modifications through interaction with different wine constituents, such as sulfur dioxide, anthocyanins and acetaldehyde. As a result, changes occur in the distribution of different tannin polymer sizes, as well as structural change in the wine, which leads to a change in the perception of astringency over time.
The webinar will discuss the discovery of the sulfonation mechanism of tannins, as well as the sensory impacts, to help winemakers better understand what happens to tannins and astringency as wine ages in bottles.
Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology (WAVE) is the Washington State Wine Commission’s seminar and webinar series focused on wine research. WAVEx is the condensed, shorter webinar series. WSU is a co-sponsor of the WAVE and WAVEx events.
Register for the free condensed tannin webinar here.
To learn more about previous WAVEx webinars, visit www.washingtonwine.org/wave/.
About the Washington State Wine Commission
The Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSWC provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness about the Washington wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSWC is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. Learn more at www.washingtonwine.org.
