Taste: Pallet, Palette & Palate: What the Heck is Going on in English and on my Palate?
Kicking off a new series called “Taste,” we jump into three versions of the word "palate" and why they are important to wine lovers.
Like many of you, I often wonder about the quirks of the English language. It's fascinating how it offers so many opportunities for misunderstandings, yet also allows us to simply let go when we make a mistake.
I remember when Kiepersol first started using social media. I wrote a tweet giving people a “sneak peek” of a new wine. Typing too fast, I wrote “peak” instead of “peek.” In true Twitter fashion, someone pointed out my mistake, kind of missing the point of the exciting news of our upcoming wine.
As I continue to typo my way through the future, I’ve come across three of my favorite words in wine. They sound the same but are spelled differently and have distinct applications in the wine world. Let's explore how these words fit into wine, for a fun departure from the more serious topics of the world today.
Pallet #1 - Getting the Wine to the People!
Behind the scenes at any winery or distillery, the pallet is an indispensable tool. This wooden structure holds cases of wine in the warehouse, allowing us to move large batches of Cabernet from the production facility to The Grand Room or the Restaurant. Without these handy pallets, there would be no wine on your table tonight. It's hard to imagine what we did before the modern pallet was invented in 1924.
Palette #2 - The Colors of Wine
Most people are familiar with a painter's palette—a handheld mixing base for an artist's colors. While we don't use this palette in winemaking, it's a great analogy for the color variations in wines. These colors can tell you a lot about a wine before you even sniff or taste it. From greenish-yellows of young white wines to deep amber of oaked and aged whites, and from bright purples of young reds to the brownish tones of aged wines, the spectrum is vast and fascinating.
Palate #3 - Everyone’s Favorite
Last but not least is the palate—the sensory experience inside your mouth. In anatomy, the palate is the roof of your mouth, but in wine, it refers to the entire interior of your mouth, including taste buds and your nose. You don’t need a ‘sophisticated’ palate to enjoy wine to its fullest.
To develop your palate, start by simply slowing down when you approach a new wine. Savor it, notice its color, and pay attention to the flavors and aromas. We’ll explore these methods much deeper in our “Taste” series, sharing why and how to taste wine, the different tastes you might experience, and, most importantly, why your palate in particular enjoys certain wines.
And, Bonus Palette #4
For the wine nerds out there, there's also the appellation in France called Palette AOC. It’s the smallest appellation in Provence, named after the tiny town of Palette. Provence, with its vibrant seasons, seems fitting for such a colorful name. A trip there sounds delightful, but until then, keep tasting and building your palate with great Texas wines.
P.S. Please forgive any typos in this post.
Kelly Doherty is the Branding and Marketing Director of Kiepersol. A photographer, graphic designer, and writer at heart, the winery and vineyard are the inspired backdrop for Kelly’s creative endeavors.
She holds a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and loves educating people about wine.
