Aftertaste

Aftertaste is the flavour that lingers in your mouth after you have swallowed or spat out the wine. Some wine enthusiasts also call it the finish or the length. It is about how long and how clearly the wine's dominant flavour impressions continue once the wine itself is gone. It can vary from just a few seconds to a sensation that dwells for several minutes.

The aftertaste says a good deal about a wine's quality and depth. A long, clean and harmonious aftertaste, where fruit, acidity and tannins keep up nicely, is often seen as a sign of a wine with substance. A short or fleeting aftertaste does not necessarily mean the wine is poor, but it rarely promises the same complexity. Wines that have rested in oak barrels often have a longer and fuller aftertaste than wines without barrel ageing. Pay attention to whether it is pleasant notes that linger, or a skewed bitterness.

The aftertaste also matters for food pairing. The idea is to find a wine whose length roughly matches that of the food, so that neither dish nor wine drowns out the other afterwards. A powerful, lasting dish suits a wine with corresponding depth, while a light dish thrives best with a wine that does not take over your whole mouth. A widespread misunderstanding is that a long aftertaste is always better. It is the balance between food and wine that determines the experience.