End

Definition - What does End mean?

In the context of wine tasting terms, "end" is used to describe a wine’s finish on the palate. Also known as endnote or finish, end refers to the palate experience of the characteristics of the wine. The way a wine "ends" on the palate can be described as short, medium or long, with wines that have a longer end being considered higher quality wines.

WineFrog explains End

Similar to the finish where it encompasses how long the sensations of the wine stay on the palate, the end more so encompasses the final flavor of the finish (last sensation), although, end, finish and aftertaste can be used interchangeably. The way a wine finishes or ends on the palate is the last sensory indicator of the quality of a wine.

Typically, young wines have a short to medium end while aged, quality wines will have a medium to long finish. The description of the finish as short, medium or long is not subjective, but an actual timeframe in which you can still experience the taste of a wine in your mouth. A short finish is between 10 to 20 seconds, a medium finish is between 20-30 seconds and a long finish is between 30-60 seconds, with the longer finish indicating a higher quality wine.