NOT CONVINCED ? TAKE THE SMELL TEST .
A staff training infographic worth 1,000 words
IS IT WINE ‘ TASTING ’ OR WINE ‘ SMELLING ’?
BY MARNIE OLD
It ’ s ironic that of all the senses used in “ wine tasting ,” smell is by far the most important .
In every-day speech , we use the word “ taste ” for all sensations that happen in the mouth . In the wine world , the term is used mostly in that catchall sense too . But professionals analyzing wine need to describe its characteristics in greater detail , based on how they are perceived , and by which sensory organ — not just where they originate in the body .
By teasing apart three separate sensory threads that together make up how wines generally “ taste ,” we can distinguish true “ tastes ” registered by our taste buds from smells that constitute “ flavor ,” and from tactile sensations known as “ mouthfeel .”
The different kinds of terms used to distinguish and describe these facets of the wine experience can be disorienting for novices . And they can contribute greatly to the wine trade ’ s perceived pretentiousness . But once someone understands why these traits differ , and how to tell them apart , they ’ re already halfway to being an expert themself .
Biologically speaking , the only difference between flavor and scent is purely directional . Olfactory nerves in the upper nasal cavity recognize smells as “ odors ” when sniffed from external sources . However , when those same smells reach the nose via the internal passage connecting the nose and mouth , they register as “ flavors .” Here they are also amplified by greater proximity and the warming effect of body heat .
Make sense ? Wine descriptors become more clear once you understand this difference between true taste sensations — those perceived on contact with the tastebuds — and the far-more varied smell sensations that masquerade as flavors — those detected by the olfactory nerves . Only rudimentary wine characteristics , like sweetness and acidity , are truly “ tasted .” But thousands of more complex and delicious sensory traits register as both scents and flavors when wine ’ s volatile aroma compounds reach our olfactory nerves . BD
SMELLS FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES REGISTER AS ODORS
OLFACTORY NERVES
NOT CONVINCED ? TAKE THE SMELL TEST .
• Pour yourself a glass of any fruit juice
• With one hand , fi rmly plug your nose
• With the other , lift the glass and take a sip
• Swallow ( awkwardly ) and wait 5 seconds
• Release your nose to restore air fl ow
Note that without natural air fl ow , only the juice ’ s sweetness and acidity are apparent . The distinctive fruit ‘ fl avors ’ do not register at all until the nasal passage is re-opened . Why ? Because they are not tastes ; they are smells .
SMELLS FROM INTERNAL SOURCES REGISTER AS FLAVORS
MARNIE OLD is one of the country ’ s leading wine educators . Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan ’ s French Culinary Institute , she is best known for her visually engaging books published by DK – the award-winning infographic Wine : A Tasting Course for beginners and the tongue-in-cheek He Said Beer , She Said Wine .
www . beveragedynamics . com November / December 2018 • Beverage Dynamics 9