The Palate

The palate – what a wine tastes like – is ultimately what we're most interested in. Wines can be very light and refreshing, perfect for a summer's afternoon, or heavy, rich and full bodied standing up to the heartiest roast dinner.

There are countless things one might say a wine tastes of. More often than not, the flavours that you get from a wine will reflect what's on the nose. So things like red or black berry fruits for reds and often citrus or tropical fruits for whites are to be expected. But beyond that, like on the nose, there are so many different flavours that are not only associated with a particular grape but also the wines age. As a wine gets older it will develop different flavours.

Another key aspect of a wine, only picked up on the palate, is the acidity. All wines have a certain amount of acidity to them. Notably, young zippy Sauvignon Blancs have pretty bracing acidity. That's what makes them so mouthwatering.

Sweetness of a wine is picked up on the palate too. Even a lot of red wines have some sweetness in them.

Finally, in red wine, you might notice some tannins – that slight powdery sensation felt mostly on the gums. A little bit of tannin helps give the wine structure and power. Heavily tannic wine will be most suited to being drunk with food, or aged for a time, until the tannins soften. In lighter red wines, such as Beaujolais, there's not so much tannin.

Another really good sign of a wine's quality is its 'length'. If you can still taste the wine for a while after you've taken a sip, that's good news. It means there's real depth of flavour there.