PALATE

TASTE of the WINE – PALATE

WHITE WINE
Take a small sip; concentrate on the very tip of your tongue. Is the wine dry, off dry or semi-sweet? This is the only place in your mouth that you will taste sweetness.
Now take a slightly bigger sip and swirl the wine around in your mouth. Get all your tastebuds to be in contact with the wine. Wait a few seconds. What is happening to your mouth? Do you feel a prickling sensation on either side of your tongue?
Yes? Well those are the natural acids found in the wine. Acid plays a very important part in white wine. Gives the white wine good lasting power.
Now, at last you can take a normal sip and swallow. On the middle of your tongue you should taste the fruitiness of the wine. This is called the mid palate.
For a good, well made wine, these three components must be in balance.
The Sweetness, Acid and fruit. One must not overpower the other. The wine should have a lingering aftertaste.

RED WINE
Same procedure as white wine but Red Wine should all be dry. Instead of acid one tastes tannin. This is from the oak maturation. Fruit tannins, from the skins will be found in the front of the mouth.
Here again the tannin / fruit structure is vitally important. Tannin is what will make the wine last but it must have fruit as well tot balance the tannin.
The promise the wine gave on the nose must be delivered on the taste and once swallowed, the wine must linger on and on as an aftertaste.
Simonsig wines are all well balanced, have the varietal characteristics that they should have. Open a few bottles with a few friends and enjoy.

REMEMBER when tasting wine it is essential to SPIT. Some wines just slip down the throat because they are just SO good, but try to spit and drink water in between wines. Never rinse your glass with water which is full of chemicals. Wine on wine is fine but wine on water – no, no.