tasting

[klm]

i recently read in "wine savvy" by heidi yorkshire the following: "you may have read in a physiology text or another wine book that the tongue is divided into zones where the taste buds taste only sweet, sour bitter, or salty flavors. that's wrong. in fact, all the taste buds taste all flavors."

this i found confusing since i have always been taught that the buds are indeed divided. do all the buds taste all flavors, but some more prominently in some areas? ms. yorkshire did not elaborate on this information.

[Innkeeper]

This may be true, but for some reason some tastebuds do better with some tastes than others. That is why you taste the sweetness (and fruitiness) of the wine "upfront", sourness (acidity) in the middle, and bitterness (from tannin) in the back. Saltiness should not occur in wine, but neva say neva! Usually the middle and rear tasters kind of run together and the tastes are referred to as those perceived "across the palate."

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-04-2001).]