Lees are the grape skins and other grapes solids that remain after crushing. Winemakers use sur lie techniques to impart extra flavor from the lees to the end wine. Sur lie techniques, while not universally used, are especially common in the making of Chardonnay. Table wines are used primarily as part of a meal. Tannin A group of organic compounds, which can be found in the wood, stems, fruit skins, and seeds of grapes and other plants.
Tannins help to make wines more astringent or mouth puckering.
A good way to experience tannin is to bite into a grape or apple seed. That dry, astringent mouth sensation is tannin. Tannins are especially evident in red wines, and generally help red wines to age. Once a red wine achieves a certain age, it may throw off its tannins as sediment. This is partly why young wines feature more tannins as sediment.