Winery News

 This Bud is for You!

From bud break to taste buds, let's talk a bit about how your tongue, nose, and eyes help tell you how your wine tastes.

Taste

The average person has about 10,000 taste buds that reproduce every two weeks. As we age, that number diminishes. Your taste buds can recognize four basic kinds of tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

The salty/sweet taste buds are located near the front of your tongue; the sour taste buds line the sides of your tongue; and the bitter taste buds are found at the very back of your tongue.

The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. If you find yourself salivating after taking a sip of wine, it could mean the wine is too acidic. Sweetness is immediately noticeable on the tip of the tongue. If there's no apparent sugar the wine is called "dry". When the alcohol is too high, there will be a bit of a burning sensation after the wine is swallowed. If the tannin level in the wine is too high, it will leave your mouth feeling dry.

You also want to be able to taste the fruit in the wine.

However, it isn’t just your tongue doing the talking. You also use your senses of seeing and smelling in order to fully taste something. To get the full taste of your wine start by looking at it.

The color of your wine can also tell you a lot about it. Pour your wine into a clear glass and study its appearance. White wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. More color in a white wine usually indicates more flavor and age. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a mahogany to a deep brown. They also tend to lighten in color as they age. Study the “rim” of a red wine and you may be able to guess its age. Tilt the glass and look at the edge of the wine. Younger wines may have a purple tint while aged reds may be orange or brown. Time improves many red wines but can ruin most whites.

Swirl the wine and see the thickness of the liquid. If a wine has a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level, you will see “legs”. These are the drips that slide down the inside of the glass after it is swirled. The more prominent these legs are, the thicker the body of the wine.

Swirling your wine also causes molecules in it to be released. Without your sense of smell you wouldn’t be able to detect flavors more delicate than sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. There are many other nuances in wine like chocolate, herbs, fruits, vanilla, oak, and even smoke. Olfactory receptors inside the uppermost part of the nose contain special cells that help you pick out these aromas. What you smell is also called the “bouquet” or “nose”.

Let the wine sit on your tongue and swirl it around. Think back to what you learned about your taste buds and decide what it is that you like best in the wines you drink.

If you’re interested in reading more on the subject of wine tasting you may want to pick up a copy of either of these books.

"The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of Wine" by Emile Peynaud

"How to Taste A Guide to Enjoying Wine" by Jancis Robinson

Tuscan Recipes
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Pisellini con Pancetta e Cipolla (Peas with Pancetta and Onion)

- 3 oz. (100 grams) butter

- 3 oz. (100 grams) of pancetta

- 1/2 onion

- 1 bag of frozen baby pease (about 10 oz/300 grams)

- 1/2 boullion

Slice the onion very thin and cut the pancetta into small pieces.

In a large frying pan warm the butter and saute the pancetta and onion until golden.

Add the frozen peas, salt, and pepper. Let cook for a few minutes and then add 1/2 cup of hot water with the boullion in it. Cook at low heat for about 10 minutes.