A term (also used for the finish, aftertaste, persistence, tail) for the length of time or duration of the flavour impression on the palate and tongue when tasting or enjoying a wine. However, not only the sense of taste (gustatory), but also the sense of smell (olfactory) and the sense of touch (trigeminal) are involved in the complex process of perception. These three individual senses cannot therefore be clearly delineated, but influence each other and result in a complex experience of pleasure.
Flavours: 1 = umami, 2 = bitter flavour, 3 = sour, 4 = sweet, 5 = salty
However, the effect of the finish is not, as is often wrongly assumed and claimed, only created by swallowing or during the process of swallowing. It is the period of time during which the impressions in the mouth still "linger" after the wine has left the mouth. For this reason, during a sensory test as part of a...
![]()
For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien