When it comes to judging the quality of a wine, there is simply no way around the palate. After the eye has judged the color and clarity and the nose has explored the aromas of the wine, the true and full potential of a wine is only revealed on the palate.
Because not only wine lovers have a palate, the wine itself is also said to have a palate. This refers to nothing other than the taste of the particular wine being tasted. And to make it a little more complicated: Not only the entire taste impression but also just a single aspect of the wine’s taste can be described as the palate. Last but not least, individual grape varieties are also assigned a typical basic taste. A Riesling that is said to have green fruit on the palate does not necessarily have to be perceived in the same way on the palate of the wine drinker.
On the palate – and this of course includes the tongue – the wine drinker is primarily – but by no means exclusively – aware of the taste of a wine. It is sweetness, acidity and tannin, i.e. bitter and tart flavors, that stand out. The two other taste sensations, salt and umami, are not superficially relevant. Impressions are also gained on the palate that are not primarily associated with taste: these include characteristics such as the temperature of the wine, but also tactile impressions, e.g. how scratchy are the tannins, are there solids in the wine, etc.? Attributes such as harmonious, round or soft are also impressions that are revealed to us on the palate, which ultimately determines how we perceive the balance of structure and charm in the wine.
