The Sense of Smell to the Test

It is said that the sense of smell is the most sensitive of the five human senses. Research has shown that the distinction of flavour is actually made up of 75% smell and 25% taste. This explains why the experience of eating and drinking is very much affected by odours. When one has a cold, he or she often finds the food bland because the scents are unable to enter his nose.

Distinction of flavour

When it comes to wine, the smell will give you an idea what kind of grape has been used to make it and what fermentation process it has undergone. It will give you a hint of the season in which the fruit ripened, of the barrel material used to store it and of how long it has aged. Different experts recommend various ways of sniffing the wine, but there are common steps. First, you must gently swirl the glass in order to vaporise some of the alcohol in the drink and release natural scents. Take a quick whiff for the first impression. Next, stick your nose into the glass and inhale deeply and distinguish the smells that come wafting in. Swirl the wine again and take another sniff.

If you detect vibrant, fruity aromas, this is a sign that the wine has undergone cool fermentation. Warmer fermentation makes the drink give off spicy, earthy scents. Odours of vanilla, toast, chocolate, coffee and smoke mean that the wine has spent storage time in barrels made of new wood. Young wines typically give off more fruity aromas, like cherries, strawberries and plums. Mature, aged ones develop a “bouquet” aroma, which is produced in the time they were stored in the bottle. It is often complex, with an amalgam of smells like cedar, mushrooms, spices, tea and tobacco all mingling together.