Taste like what?

When we taste wine, our tongues can pick up sour, sweet, salty, or bitter notes. But once you swallow the wine, the aromas may change because you're getting them retro-nasally.

All wines have some sourness due to the acid content in grapes, which depends on the climate and grape type. Some grapes like Pinot Grigio are known for their bitterness, which has a light and pleasant tonic-water-like flavour. Some white wines hold onto some grape sugars, giving a natural sweetness that only the tongue can taste. Lastly, salty qualities are rare in wines, but some reds and whites do have that salty taste.

It is time to taste the wine and evaluate five key characteristics. 

1. Sweetness/dryness – most wines you taste will be dry or off-dry. 

2. Acidity – Wines with high acidity can cause your mouth to salivate, much like consuming a tart green apple or lemon.

3. Tannin – Drinking a wine with strong tannins can be compared to drinking a cup of very strong tea.

4. Alcohol – Wines with high alcohol content may have a stronger taste of tannins or sweetness and produce a warming sensation.

5. Body – Light-bodied wines have a thinner mouthfeel, while full-bodied wines are heavier and creamier.

Flavour descriptions like cut grass, roasted fig, and gooseberry are tough to pinpoint and can be pretty subjective. It takes a lot of practice to identify them accurately. So, instead of focusing too much on these flavours, it's better to concentrate on how the wine smells and feels in your mouth. When you say something smells like rose petals, most people get what you're saying. But when you talk about the flavour, like blackberry, it's harder to describe. So, it's better to be general about the flavour profile and talk about the weight and texture of the wine. What's the shape and feel of the wine?

To truly understand and appreciate wine, it is imperative to consider the food that pairs best with it. This not only enhances your wine experience but also enables you to discover the exquisite harmony between food and wine. So, go ahead and explore the perfect food-wine pairing to elevate your wine-tasting experience to the next level.

Wanna know more about wine? Come to our in-store tastings with our invited experts to get all your wine questions answered. https://www.barrelsandstills.store/events