How to Cleanse the Palate
A common ritual in both wine tasting and fine dining is to cleanse the palate. The theory is that it is easier to appreciate all the complex and varied flavors you are sampling if you clear one taste from your senses before attempting the next.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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Learn to Cleanse the Palate During Wine or Beer Tastings
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1
Begin with the lighter offerings and work your way up to the heavier, headier choices.
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2
Eat white bread or crackers and sip unflavored water between sips.
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3
Pause between tasting each wine or beer to allow your palate time to "breathe." Clearing your mouth of one taste allows you to better appreciate the next one.
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4
Wait to have a meal until after the tasting. While wine and beer are wonderful together, any foods you eat with them affect their taste.
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5
Skip mints, gum or candy until after the tasting.
Cleanse Your Palate During a Fine Dining Experience
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1
Start the meal with a light aperitif to stimulate the palate.
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2
Have several courses. You can savor the distinct tastes of the food and beverages that comprise each course and let your senses of smell and taste clear in between. Another benefit is the more elegant and leisurely dining experience a multiple-course meal provides.
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3
Make at least one course a "palate cleanser." This is often a light sorbet, a simple preparation of fruit or vegetables or soup. Many fine restaurants include one or more "palate cleansers" with the meal or a la carte.
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4
Pair foods with complimentary wines or beers, and vice versa. Restaurants often suggest a wine or beer to accompany a particular menu item. Sommeliers or servers can make good recommendations as well.
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5
Skip mints, gum or candy until after dinner.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you plan to purchase wine or beer at a formal tasting, avoid eating foods other than the white bread or crackers or drinking anything besides water during the actual. Additional flavors can mask the true taste of the wine, making you less happy with your purchases later.
Follow the steps under "Fine Dining" for an in-home social wine or beer tasting. Usually the point of such a party is to sample and enjoy great beverages paired with great food rather than a formal tasting of vintages or brews by themselves.
