Although the four main flavors - sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are all your tongue is really capable of tasting, the long lasting impression that wine leaves in your mouth is far more complex. When you drink or taste wine, your taste buds and your sense of smell are involved, adding to the way you interpret wine overall. The flavors, aromas, and sensations that wine is comprised of provide the interaction that you taste when you sample wine.
Sweetness is something that wines are well known for. With most types of wine, grapes are responsible for the sweet taste. Grapes contain a lot of sugar, which breaks the yeast down into alcohol. The grapes and yeast that were used to produce the wine will leave behind various sugars, which your tongue will be able to quickly detect. Once your tongue detects these various sugars, the stimulation of sweetness from the wine will be ever so present in your mouth.
Alcohol is also present in wine, although your tongue doesn’t really know how to decipher the taste of alcohol. Even though the tongue doesn’t really taste alcohol, the alcohol is present in the mouth. The alcohol found in wine will dilate blood vessels and therefore intensify all of the other flavors found in the wine. After you have samples a few types of wine, the alcohol level can easily have an effect on your taste buds, making it hard to distinguish other drinks that you may have.
Another flavor is acidity, which will effect the sugars. With the proper balance of acidity, the overall flavor of wine can be very overwhelming. Once you taste wine that contains it, the flavor of the acidity will be well known to your tongue. Although acidity is great with wine, too much of it will leave a very sharp taste. With the right levels, acidity will bring the flavors of the grape and fruits alive in your mouth - providing you with the perfect taste.
Yet another effect of flavor are tannins, which are the proteins found in the skins of grapes and other fruits. If a wine has the right amount of tannins, it will give your tongue a great feel, and bring in the sensations of the other flavors. Once a wine starts to age, the tannins will begin to breakdown in the bottle, giving you a softer feel to the taste. Tannins are essential for the taste of wine - providing the wine has been properly aged.
The last flavor associated with wine is oak. Although oak isn’t put into the wine during the manufacturing process, it is actually transferred during the aging process, as most wines will spend quite a bit of time in oak barrels. Depending on how long the wine is left in the oak barrel or cask, the ability to extract the flavor will vary. Most often times, wine will be aged just enough to where the oak taste is visibly there - and adds the perfect sentiment to the taste.
Although there are other flavors involved with the taste of wine, they aren’t as present as those listed above. The above flavors are the most present in wine, and also the flavors that you need to get more familiar with. Before you try to taste wine or distinguish flavors, you should always learn as much you can about the components responsible for the flavors. This way - you will know more about what you are tasting and you’ll truly be able to appreciate wine.
Why You Should Use A Wine Rack
For wine to mature in the proper way, you’ll need to have the right humidity, temperature, light condition, and movement. Whenever you are storing wine for any amount of time, you’ll need to ensure that the wine is in a safe place. Even though there are a few ways that you can store wine, none are safer or smarter than using a wine rack.
When you choose your wine rack, you should always remember to choose one that will store your wine properly. There are a several styles to choose from, including those that stack, wall mounts, and side mounts. You should also pay attention to size as well, as the sizes range from storing a few bottles to storing hundreds. You’ll also have a lot of varieties and designs to select from, all of which depend on your needs and your space.
Among the best types of wine racks are the horizontal racks. Contrary to what many may think, vertical racks aren’t a good choice for storing your wine. Wine that is stored on vertical racks are stored vertically, which means that the cork will dry out and eventually start to shrink, bringing air into the wine and ruining it. On the other hand, vertical racks can come in handy when storing wine for short periods of time, or wine that is best consumed young.
Tilted racks are another type of rack you should avoid using, as they can dry out the corks or deposit the sediments too close to the cork. For your wine storing needs, you should always go with a horizontal rack. Horizontal racks will keep the cork moist, and keep unwanted air from making contact with the wine. The sediment will fall towards the side of the bottle, preventing spillage when you pop the cork. Horizontal racks are also very affordable and you can always add more racks to the design with little to no problem.
The materials for wine racks are normally wood or metal. You can hang them from ceilings, mount them on the wall, or simply place them on the floor. Metal racks are the strongest, although wood is more flexible. Wooden racks provide a bit more storage, for the simple fact that you can always add to them. Wood racks are also visually appealing, durable, and provide plenty of strength.
All in all, a wine rack is a fine investment for anyone who appreciates wine. There are various sizes to choose from, all of which are very affordable. The small to medium sizes work best for homes, while the large styles are best for commercial settings. No matter where you keep your wine - you can count on a wine rack to keep your wine stored for years to come.
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