The human tongue is efficient at sensing four dominant tastes - salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. The lingering impression from a taste of wine, however, is a bit more intricate. When you savor a taste of wine your sense of smell comes into play along with your taste buds. This impacts your specific perception of the wine. The total taste encounter of a good wine incorporates the flavors, aromas, and sensations that you experience. 

Among the essential elements that wines are known for is sweetness. The sweet taste comes from the grapes from which the wine is made. Grapes have a rich concentration of sugar, which works to break down the yeast into alcohol. The grapes and yeast used to make the wine result in assorted sugars being existent. These sugars become a fundamental element of the wine. Your tongue will instantly discern the presence of the sugars, which will result in the sensation of sweetness. 

There is also alcohol in the wine, albeit your tongue cannot construe the taste of it. Nevertheless, the alcohol is existent and will dilate the blood vessels, intensifying all the flavors within the wine. After sampling a few assorted wines, the alcohol can influence the taste buds, creating difficulty in distinguishing the refinements of each.    

Another flavor to be considered is acidity, which has a direct effect on the sugars. Without the right balance of acidity, the overall flavor of a wine can be quite overpowering. Once you have sampled a few wines that have acidity, your tongue will become well familiarized with it. Acidity in wine is to be desired, however excessive amounts will cause a very intense taste. At the proper levels, acidity intensifies the flavors of the grapes and fruits within your mouth. The culmination is the perfect taste.

Another flavor constituent that is often mentioned is tannins. Tannins are proteins that occur in the skins of fruits, including grapes. The proper amount of tannins in the wine will bring to pass a great texture for the tongue and reinforce the sensations of any other flavors.   During the aging process the tannins break down in the bottle, resulting in a softer texture in the taste. Tannins can help to yield superior taste results in wines that have been aged correctly. 

One final flavor connected to wine is that of oak. Oak is not a component of the wine incipiently nor is it incorporated during the distilling process. Most good, well-aged wines spend a n appreciable amount of time in oak barrels. The oak flavor, which is in reality more of an essence, is transferred during the aging process. The amount of oak flavor absorbed into the wine is relative to the amount of time spent in barrels or casks. Ideally, the wine will be aged to the point where the oak taste is appreciable, yet subtle, rather than being a primary flavor theme. 

There are certainly other flavors involved in the overall taste of wine but, these are the central ones that have the greatest effect. As a wine lover, these flavors are the ones you should be the most informed of. As you learn to taste wine and differentiate its distinct flavors and subtleties, you will develop a more discerning palate. This will enhance your appreciation of fine wines and make your tasting experience more delightful.