Flavor has great power: it influences the pleasantness, the fullness of flavor and the drinkability of the wine. That is, it determines that desire to fill your glass again. Even if flavor is perhaps not among the most common descriptors of wine, it is certainly one of the most interesting. It is worth understanding more if you want to delve deeper into the magic of tasting.
Let's see what the flavor of wine is, in 5 questions and as many simple answers.
What is the flavor of wine?
The term derives from the Latin sapĕre , to have flavour. In wine, it is the pleasant saline sensation felt in the taste (along with bitterness, acidity, sweetness) thanks to the receptors we have in our mouth, which send the signal to the brain.
Why is the flavor of wine noticeable?
Even if the flavor in wine is not generally very pronounced, we perceive it thanks to the receptors located at the edges of the tongue , after the tip - which is instead specialized for sweetness - and towards the center of the tongue.
In what order is the flavor of a wine perceived?
We do not perceive the flavors all together but in this order: first the salty , then the sour , then the sweet and finally the bitter . But since the sweet receptors are on the tip of the tongue (the first point that the wine touches) and that the acidic sensations in wine are stronger than the salty ones, in fact the real perception of the gustatory sensations when tasting a glass of divine nectar it is this: sweet , sour , salty , bitter .
What causes the flavor of wine?
The flavor is due to the presence of mineral salts of organic and inorganic substances present in the wine. Various factors determine whether a wine is more or less tasty: pedoclimatic environment (proximity to the sea, temperature, humidity, latitude, altitude, soil, climate...), oenological processes in the cellar, conservation and refinement .
Why is it not easy to detect flavor in wine?
For at least two reasons . A subjective one : the ability to perceive the flavor of wine depends on personal factors , above all the habit of salting dishes more or less - in the first case the flavor is perceived less. An objective one : in wine, alcohol and acidity tend to mask the sensations of flavor .
That said, with the right training you learn to detect the flavor of wine and appreciate it, as one of the key elements that make us love it so much.
