Recently, a conversation with a former Royal Marine drew my attention to the nuances of the senses, specifically concerning smell and taste. The Marine shared insights on how critical sight is in the field and how training involves overcoming the visual system’s drawbacks. For instance, looking into shadows is essential when searching for concealed individuals, as our eyes naturally resist the dimness.
This discussion prompted me to consider how many wine tasters and chefs overlook the importance of our sense of taste and olfaction. While there’s a lot of focus on glassware, the actual tools that matter—the olfactory receptors and taste buds—often go unnoticed. Professional tasters sometimes carry their own tasting glasses, almost like a badge of honor, yet they neglect how crucial the physical sensing of smell and taste is in their craft.
However, not every culinary professional is ignorant of these sensitivities. Chefs like Ferran Adrià are devoted to understanding how taste and smell function, especially in regard to trigeminal chemoreception. This refers to the sensations from spicy foods and hot elements, which are perceived through nerve receptors rather than the taste buds.
What’s surprising is the attitude of some tasters who believe their palate is infallibly precise, akin to a quartz timepiece. This assumption is naive, as the perception of a wine varies greatly depending on when you taste it. For example, a wine sampled in the morning at a vineyard will taste different than if tasted after a hefty lunch. This disparity is linked to our appetite—when hungry, our olfactory senses are heightened, making certain aromas more pronounced and perhaps more appealing.
Luckily, a professional taster can somewhat adjust their palate by being mindful of these factors, such as not indulging too heavily in a meal before tasting. Beyond practical adjustments, there is an immense joy in exploring the science and wonder of smell. Fascinating facts include that we instinctively raise a freshly shaken hand to our face to sniff it or that our sense of smell can outperform even that of mice and dogs in some instances.
A key takeaway in wine tasting is to pay close attention to the initial sniff of any glass. This first impression is crucial because our noses rapidly adjust to familiar scents, leading to diminishing returns with successive sniffs. Contrary to popular belief, the coffee beans often used to reset one’s sense of smell aren’t effective. Instead, smelling something neutral, like a scarf or the inside of your jacket, can help in refreshing your palate—though the look may not be the most dignified in social settings.
In my glass this month was a bottle of Dermot Sugrue’s new release, a still Chardonnay intriguingly named Bonkers zombie robot alien monsters from the future ate my brain (sur lie) Multi-Vintage Solera (£29 Sugrue South Downs). Combining wines from both the 2022 and 2023 vintages, its complexity is truly engaging.
For further exploration: