Ok get your minds out of the gutter! But seriously ,Critics place a high value on a wines finish. If a Pro taster spits wine out, are we getting the rating on the wines attack only, and not on the finish? For me to enjoy a wine it's got to have both,and i've read reviews about wines finish, so I assume wine critics do swallow,at least sometimes.
"I can't remember the last time I got drunk" Ollie North " Love means never having to say your sorry." Richard M. Nixon
I walked down the hall and asked Bruce Sanderson if he swallows when evaluating wine. "Only if the wine is good," he answered with a smile.
When you're evaluating flights of wines, you need to keep your palate--and your brain--clear. Spitting is key; you still get the finish with its (hopefully) lingering flavors and (hopefully without) burning alcohol.
Before you spit or swallow, swishing the wine around in your mouth releases all the the flavors that resolve on the finish. At the same time, any excess alcohol is certainly making its presence known through your sense of touch.
Bruce suggested that you try spitting as you evaluate a flight. Then go through the flight again, this time swallowing as you evaluate the wines (make sure it's a small flight!). If you really pay close attention when spitting, you probably won't get more info when you swallow.
Gloria Maroti Frazee director of education -- and video Wine Spectator
Posts: 194 | Location: NYC | Registered: Nov 14, 2001
