Tasting Instructions 31
name (e.g., Moscato d’Asti or Nebbiolo d’Alba). Wines can also receive a brand name. The
brand-name wines can be at the higher end of the price spectrum, such as Opus One or
Dom Pe ́rignon, or at the more moderate end, such as Blue Nun or Mateus. Brand names
are generally blends of grape varieties but can also be blends of vintages (as is the case for
the majority of Champagnes, which are nonvintage).
PALATE MAPPING
Since 1914, the primary taste components have been described as sweet, sour, bitter, and
salty.^17 While recent research suggests that this is an oversimplification of the nature of taste,
sensory researchers utilize these elements as primary tastes when evaluating edible products.
Recent research suggests that taste elements may actually form a taste continuum rather
than four separate and distinct elements, much like how we perceive color across a contin-
uum or spectrum of color variations. Future research may delineate secondary taste com-
ponents just as we are able to distinguish secondary and primary colors.^18 Some physiologists
suggest other elements may exist in wine, such as oiliness, alkalinity, and fattiness.^19
Researchers in Japan proposed a fifth element, umami (ooh-MOM-me). This element
is not as dominant in Western cultures as it is in Eastern ones. The typical example of
umami is the taste of soy sauce, but other examples include tomatoes, edamame, and mon-
osodium glutamate. While very few question the existence of umami, most wine evaluators
find little value in using it as an indicator for food and wine pairing or wine evaluation in
general.^20
While other elements may exist, the four-element model of primary taste components
provides a useful framework to utilize in evaluating wine and food products. While individ-
uals vary significantly in their sensitivities to these elements, it is rare for an individual to
be unable to recognize these elements when they occur at above-normal levels.
The elements of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter are sensed in roughly the same locations
on most people’s tongues. Hence, it is important to evaluate how and where these taste
elements are perceived in the mouth to enhance your ability to differentiate between acidity,
bitterness, and astringency when these elements are combined in a wine or food item.
TASTING INSTRUCTIONS
Recent research indicates that the entire mouth experiences taste sensations. The taste
within our mouth is thought to evolve as it goes from a stage of attack through evolution
and finally to a final impression. The attack phase in wine usually lasts about two to three
seconds and is generally dominated by any sweet tastes present. The evolution phase lasts
an additional five to twelve seconds, with a progression from the dominant sweet character
to the sensations of acidity and then bitterness. The final impression is dominated by any
lasting effects of acidity and bitterness, which can last for anywhere from five seconds to
over two minutes.^21 For this discussion and the exercises that follow, the focus is on tasting
sweetness, saltiness, acidity, bitterness, and tannin (astringency).
Sweetness balances acidity in food and wine. It is generally the first component we
perceive as it hits the tip of our tongue. A sweet sensation in wine can be derived from the
presence of residual sugars or from the presence of alcohol or glycerin. One method to test
your sensitivity to sweetness and to evaluate where you perceive it is to place some sugar