24 WINE AND THE ART OF WINE TASTING. 



sense. It is a well-known fact that if the nose be held whilst tasting a 

 substance we perceive the fundamental tastes, such as sweetness, bitter- 

 ness, salt, and acid, but all the delicate flavors disappear completely. 



We have now arrived at the sense of taste, or, as some call it, the 

 tasting proper. The sense of taste, with its somewhat complicated 

 apparatus, is the one which has the most important office to fulfill; by 

 it we decide whether the wine has the freshness, solidity, strength, 

 delicacy, etc., in short, the qualities required by the most critical taster. 



The principal seat of the sense of taste is the tongue, although it 

 seems to have been proved that both the anterior face of the membrane 

 of the palate and the posterior part of the palate are capable of receiv- 

 ing gustatory impressions. 



According to the illustrious Professor Lussana, the tip of the tongue 

 is distinguished by its ability to detect the finest gradations of flavor, 

 whilst the posterior part, on the other hand, is distinguished by the in- 

 tensity of its sensations, and is therefore more impressed by repugnant 

 flavors. 



Different parts of the organs of taste receive different impressions 

 from the same sapid substance. 



The action of sapid substances in contact with the tasting apparatus 

 is somewhat complex, and is physico-chemical rather than mechanical, 

 as formerly supposed. 



For this reason the particular gustatory sensation due to any aliment- 

 ary substance is felt more keenly when the substance is kept for some 

 time in contact with the tasting membranes, as is the case, for instance, 

 in slow mastication. 



This time, however, should not be too much prolonged in tasting 

 wine, or it becomes impossible to distinguish between the many and 

 diverse flavors which a wine presents. 



The taster, having now critically examined the wine to the best of 

 his ability, by means of the eye and the exterior part of the organ of 

 smell, must pass quickly to the domain of the sense of taste. 



To this end, he slightly lowers his head, carries the glass to his lips, 

 and introduces a sip of the wine into the anterior part of his mouth, 

 where the sense of taste receives its first impressions. 



The taster retains the wine in this part of the mouth for a certain 

 time; and in order better to perceive the various flavors that affect this 

 part of the tasting apparatus, he divides and subdivides the wine with 

 the tip of his tongue, or as experts express it, he " breaks up " the wine, 

 in order to increase the surface of contact between the wine and the 

 gums, palate, and tip of the tongue. 



As soon as the taster has received a distinct impression of all the 

 sensations caused by the wine in this part of the mouth that is, of 

 those due to sugar, acid, tannin, etc. he slowly raises his head, thus 

 allowing the wine to pass to the posterior part of the mouth, when he 

 takes a short breath and slightly gargles; at this stage of the operation 

 he will perceive any earthy, bitter, or mawkish taste, or any taste of 

 wood, cork, etc., that the wine may have; here he will also remark the 

 alcoholic strength or weakness of the wine. The wine is then, so to 

 speak, left to itself and passes into the larynx, the oesophagus, and on 

 into the stomach. 



As the wine passes down the throat it gives off odors which, as has 

 been mentioned, ascend to the palate and the internal nasal ducts. The 



