So far we have Seen, Swirled, Smelled, Sipped and now we get to Savoring the wine. So if you haven’t swallowed your will from before, go ahead and do so now.
After Savoring, the Finish begins:
Remember the Attack was when wine first hits the palate and now we are experiencing the Finish.
Sometimes the finish is short and sometimes the flavors of the wine seem to last minutes and minutes. Sometimes the wine is so remarkable it will stay on the palate for hours but in reality that is more of a memory than a sensation. Your taste/smell receptors are directly tied to your memory centers remember? Remember this experience; get in the moment with your wine. Remember the brand, varietal, year and appellation and begin to develop that “Somm” memory book.
Sometimes the wine will have a very pleasant finish, and sometimes it will taste different after you swallow. Different flavors or aromas may come out and sometimes hidden faults that were masked by fruit flavors or sugar will emerge after you swallow. This may leave you with a medicinal, mineral, metallic, petrol or some other off flavor on the palate.
But while you are savoring your wine, begin to think about the overall experience; was it good, bad, pleasant, intriguing, or satisfying. What about the length; was it long or short? Was the wine intense or flat?
Do you want to investigate more, or are you shying away and why? What is it about this wine that either draws you or pushes you away? Understanding this will help you understand yourself.
Next week we will talk about wine ratings; the good and the bad of rating systems. You will see that what you like and what the “experts” like may be different and you will understand why all rating systems are biased in some form or another.
But, for now, just “Uncork, Sip Back and Relax.”
Cheers