Trust your own palate. Taste with confidence.
Every Saturday, one big idea about why wine tastes the way it does, with experiments to prove it at your own table. Every Wednesday, The Decant: the people and money behind the wine you buy. From a Certified Sommelier.
What readers say
Read alongside hundreds of curious drinkers, sommeliers, and winemakers.
“Best summary I ever read on this subject and I appreciate the recommendations on discovering the differences.”
“I love this kind of side-by-side. Besides enjoyment, it’s one of the best educational practices.”
What lands in your inbox
A first week that resets your palate, then two issues a week.
First week
4 at-home tasting exercises
Linked in your welcome email: blind-taste two Chardonnays, find acidity and tannin side by side, and put a name on what you like.
Wednesdays
The Decant
Wine culture told straight: the people, prices, scores, and history behind what's in your glass.
Saturdays
The Polished Palate
One big idea about how wine works, plus short tasting exercises you can run with any bottle.
About
Hi, I’m Rapha.
I’m a Certified Sommelier who spent years watching smart people apologize for their own taste. The Polished Palate is my case for the opposite: your palate is trainable, your preferences are defensible, and wine makes more sense when someone explains the mechanics instead of the mystique.
More about meDevelop a palate that’s yours.
Join The Polished Palate free. Your welcome email starts you on four at-home tasting exercises.