A PALATE FOR WINE
More than a mere question of taste
When we evaluate a wine by tasting it, we obviously make use of our sense of taste to note sweetness, acidity or bitterness. However, we also use our sense of smell to pick up on flavor characteristics and our sense of touch to perceive the astringency and mouthfeel of a wine.
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What should we pay attention to while tasting?
The main aspects to keep in mind are as follows:
1. SWEETNESS
Is the wine dry? Bone dry? Sweet? Off-dry, perhaps? This, as you can see, refers to the amount of sugar in the wine, although the alcohol can also give an impression of sweetness.
It is worth noting that the vast majority of reds and a great many whites are dry wines, meaning that their sugar content is below 4 grams per liter.
White wines with more residual sugar can be described as off-dry or semi-sweet. This information is literally on the tip of your tongue, which is where we are most sensitive to sweetness.
2. ACIDITY
Acidity is crucial to the potential and quality of a wine. It keeps wine fresh and lively, plus acidity fights off microbes.
We perceive acidity along the sides of the tongue as a kind of sharp "tingling" sensation. It also makes us salivate. The more we salivate, the higher the acidity.
Wine gets its acidity from the different types of acids found in grape must (tartaric, malic) and vinification processes like malolactic fermentation, which transforms malic acid into lactic acid.
Higher acidity wines tend to be whites made from varieties grown in cool climates, i.e. Riesling.
3. TANNINS
A quick refresher on tannins is always handy. Tannins are polyphenols found in grape stems, seeds and skin. During barrel aging, the wine also absorbs wood tannins from the oak.
Tannins give a wine color (although to a lesser extent than anthocyanins), aroma and structure. We perceive them through touch and taste. They are responsible for that astringent and bitter sensation, which cuts off our saliva and "dries out" our gums when the tannins are green and aggressive. Ripe tannins, however, give wine a magnificently silky texture and elegant body.
4. ALCOHOL
We perceive alcohol through touch. This is because higher alcohol levels stimulate pain receptors, producing a burning sensation when we swallow or spit out wine.
Generally speaking, wine contains between 10.5% and 14% alcohol by volume (ABV). We can therefore say that wines containing 10.5% to 11.5% ABV are lower alcohol wines and those with 13.5% to 14% ABV are higher alcohol wines.
5. BODY
ALCOHOL & SUGAR VS. ACIDITY
Body is the textural impression that we sense as the wine crosses the palate. Does it feel "rough"? Heavy? Mouth-filling? Several elements make up what we commonly refer to as the body of a wine.
The alcohol provides the foundation for building the framework and structure; the fruit, sugar and high levels of ripe tannins dress the walls and windows.
However, excessive acidity makes a wine seem thin, it takes away body. Low levels of coarse, green tannins produce a similar sensation, reducing the impression of weight and contributing a lightness that has a weakening effect on structure.
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF FLAVOR AND LENGTH
Even though we are evaluating the palate of a wine, we perceive the intensity and the different flavor characteristics with our sense of smell.
How does this work? Our body heat increases the temperature of the wine in our mouth. This causes the aroma molecules to rise and reach the receptors responsible for our sense of smell.
Our brain then combines these sensations with the taste and texture information provided by the palate to identify a flavor and measure its intensity.
LENGTH
The finish or aftertaste is simply the amount of time that flavors last in the mouth once we have swallowed (or spat out) the wine.
A long, persistent finish usually indicates a good quality wine. By contrast, a short, abrupt finish points to a wine of dubious quality.
