It has always been suspected that drinking red wine in moderation is good for your health. But wines from this tough astringent variety is renowned for improving the cardiovascular health of its drinkers. Research by Roger Corder of the William Harvey Institute in London has shed light on just why this is the case.
The Resveratrol Fallacy
In the early nineties there was great interest in the compound resveratrol. It was found to have beneficial health effects in mice, and it was present in red wine. The research was reported widely and there was a worldwide increase in the consumption of red wine. Further research has shown that resveratrol is not a magic bullet; the amounts present in wine are too small to have any health giving effect. However other compounds present in some red wine are beneficial.
Procyanidins - the Real Health Boosters in Red Wines
A few red wines contain high levels of a class of compounds known as procyanidins that counteract the effects of high fat diets. Drinkers of these wines have better cardiovascular health, lower levels of diabetes and hence greater longevity. Tannat wines contain very high proportions of these compounds, so much so that the areas where they are made and consumed have much higher rates of longevity. This longevity is despite high consumption of saturated fats, known to have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
The Taste of Tannat
The most obvious thing about many Tannat wines is the mouth feel rather than the taste. The wines are often high in tannins and hence quite astringent. Modern wine making methods tend to soften the tannins and allow the rich blackberry flavours to come through.
Often they are blended with small quantities of other varieties for example Cabernet Sauvignon or Fer. They are also used in blends to add colour and strength to other varieties, for example in Australia's Eden Valley Irvine wines use a small addition of Tannat to Shiraz.
The Geography of Tannat
- In France the Tannat variety is grown in South West France, most famously in the Madiran region, but it is also used in the Cotes de St Mont, Irouleguy and in Cahors. Some rose style wines are also made with this variety.
- It may seem surprising that Tannat is the major red wine variety in Uruguay. The early wine industry was heavily influenced by Basque immigrants who brought the variety from their homeland in the nineteenth century. Beef is a major industry in Uruguay and it is easy to see the synergy between that product and robust Tannat wines.
- In Australia, Tannat is one of many wine varieties being introduced in an effort to broaden the range of wines made there. See this list of wineries using Tannat in Australia.
Tannat Wines and Food
These wines are really meat lovers wines. You can pair them with gilled or barbecued beef of perhaps try one with this recipe for duck ragu for pasta, provided by Australian Winemaker and Tannat enthusiast Sam Miranda.
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