Do you ever have this moment where you taste a wine and it reminds you of something and you think - what is that? Why can't I describe that?
I've often wondered why it is so hard to describe wine.
Little did I know I'd find the answer in a Wisconsin winery.
While I was wine tasting Americana-style, I met a food scientist who explained it all so well.
It turns out we have one part of the brain that perceives taste and that is far from the part of our brain that helps us speak.
That is a long road to travel. It is just plain math!
This was a huge ah-ha moment for me.
In my video interview with the food scientist, he also explained the key to paving this road.
And the best part? The steps to get better at "speaking wine" are pretty simple.
For one thing, we can start by paving this pathway in our brain from our smelling center to our language center. Right now that path may be a dirt road or tall grasses and by smelling more objects we do know intentionally, we can start to make this path stronger.
So the next time you are in a grocery store, flower shop or spice store, try paying attention to smells and associating them with their names.
Another trick the experts use is to use a tasting grid. These grids offer suggestions of what to look for while tasting. I created a Guide to Describe Wine that might help you. If you'd like it, you just sign up with this link and I will send it to you for free.
Live and drink well!
Dini