SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  1
www.gourmetrecipe.com
There are only a few flavors your tongue is actually capable of tasting in wine, yet the overall impression of a wine in your mouth is much
more complex than the four simple flavors of salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. This is because of the involvement of your nose and other
aspects of wine that add to the overall mouthfeel. It is the interaction of these flavors, aromas, and sensations that build the overall taste
of the wine.
Sweetness
Grapes are a fruit and as such they contain large amounts of various sugars. It is these sugars that yeast break down and turn into
alcohol. Depending on the grape and the yeast, a number of sugars are left behind in the finished wine and will be quickly detected by
your tongue since the sweet receptors are right on the tip. The perception of sweetness will be greatly influenced by the other flavors in
the wine. If the only part of your tongue being stimulated is the sweet receptor, then even a wine with low sugar content will taste sweet.
While the best strate red wine with much higher sugar levels but also with some acidity and tannins will taste less sweet. Also,
temperature can affect the perception of sweetness. A wine served cold from the refrigerator will be perceived as less sweet than a
warmer one.
Alcohol
Alcohol is created as a byproduct of yeast extracting energy from sugar in an environment devoid of oxygen. While your tongue does not
have any specific receptors to taste alcohol, it does have a very pronounced effect on the mouth. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate
and can increase the intensity of all the other flavors in the wine. And after a few samples it can also degrade your ability to taste, both
due to its effect on the taste buds and on your mental strength. Wine without alcohol is almost always overly sweet, as one of the most
important impacts it makes (aside from euphoria) is to balance sugars.
Oak
The last major flavor is not naturally found in wine or grapes. But as many wines spend some time aging in oak barrels they extract the
flavors from these casks. Depending on the length of time spent in oak and the acidity of the wine, which increases its ability to extract
oils from the wood, the oak characteristics can vary wildly. Most often oak is perceived as rich vanilla, spice, toffee, caramel, or even
buttery flavors. Too long and harsher elements can be extracted that are perceived as menthol, cleanser, or solvent.
While there are other flavors that affect wine to lesser degrees, the above list represents those that you should get familiar with before
trying to analyze wine for less important aspects.

Contenu connexe

Plus de Arnie Kaye Dillen (20)

Being a vegetarian
Being a vegetarianBeing a vegetarian
Being a vegetarian
 
Type of peanuts
Type of peanutsType of peanuts
Type of peanuts
 
7 things about oranges
7 things about oranges7 things about oranges
7 things about oranges
 
5 benefits of wine
5 benefits of wine5 benefits of wine
5 benefits of wine
 
Soup for thoughts
Soup for thoughtsSoup for thoughts
Soup for thoughts
 
Coffee causes low birth weight in babies
Coffee causes low birth weight in babiesCoffee causes low birth weight in babies
Coffee causes low birth weight in babies
 
The brain on chocolate
The brain on chocolateThe brain on chocolate
The brain on chocolate
 
A sample cancer diet menu
A sample cancer diet menuA sample cancer diet menu
A sample cancer diet menu
 
Things you may not know about barbecue
Things you may not know about barbecueThings you may not know about barbecue
Things you may not know about barbecue
 
Mother's day recipe
Mother's day recipeMother's day recipe
Mother's day recipe
 
Tips for traveling with mom
Tips for traveling with momTips for traveling with mom
Tips for traveling with mom
 
Strawberry festival
Strawberry festivalStrawberry festival
Strawberry festival
 
Brains as food
Brains as foodBrains as food
Brains as food
 
Alsatian vegetable soup
Alsatian vegetable soupAlsatian vegetable soup
Alsatian vegetable soup
 
Corn and basil pancakes
Corn and basil pancakesCorn and basil pancakes
Corn and basil pancakes
 
Baumkuchen
BaumkuchenBaumkuchen
Baumkuchen
 
Easter crafts for children
Easter crafts for childrenEaster crafts for children
Easter crafts for children
 
Easter eggs
Easter eggsEaster eggs
Easter eggs
 
Easter
EasterEaster
Easter
 
Eggs as snack
Eggs as snackEggs as snack
Eggs as snack
 

The best flavor compounds in wine

  • 1. www.gourmetrecipe.com There are only a few flavors your tongue is actually capable of tasting in wine, yet the overall impression of a wine in your mouth is much more complex than the four simple flavors of salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. This is because of the involvement of your nose and other aspects of wine that add to the overall mouthfeel. It is the interaction of these flavors, aromas, and sensations that build the overall taste of the wine. Sweetness Grapes are a fruit and as such they contain large amounts of various sugars. It is these sugars that yeast break down and turn into alcohol. Depending on the grape and the yeast, a number of sugars are left behind in the finished wine and will be quickly detected by your tongue since the sweet receptors are right on the tip. The perception of sweetness will be greatly influenced by the other flavors in the wine. If the only part of your tongue being stimulated is the sweet receptor, then even a wine with low sugar content will taste sweet. While the best strate red wine with much higher sugar levels but also with some acidity and tannins will taste less sweet. Also, temperature can affect the perception of sweetness. A wine served cold from the refrigerator will be perceived as less sweet than a warmer one. Alcohol Alcohol is created as a byproduct of yeast extracting energy from sugar in an environment devoid of oxygen. While your tongue does not have any specific receptors to taste alcohol, it does have a very pronounced effect on the mouth. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate and can increase the intensity of all the other flavors in the wine. And after a few samples it can also degrade your ability to taste, both due to its effect on the taste buds and on your mental strength. Wine without alcohol is almost always overly sweet, as one of the most important impacts it makes (aside from euphoria) is to balance sugars. Oak The last major flavor is not naturally found in wine or grapes. But as many wines spend some time aging in oak barrels they extract the flavors from these casks. Depending on the length of time spent in oak and the acidity of the wine, which increases its ability to extract oils from the wood, the oak characteristics can vary wildly. Most often oak is perceived as rich vanilla, spice, toffee, caramel, or even buttery flavors. Too long and harsher elements can be extracted that are perceived as menthol, cleanser, or solvent. While there are other flavors that affect wine to lesser degrees, the above list represents those that you should get familiar with before trying to analyze wine for less important aspects.