Sensitive senses are a good foundation for a happy life. For a life filled with emotion. Because the senses don’t only give us the opportunity to navigate the world around us, but also to experience it. And when we talk about wine, it is the senses that take us on a journey into a world of flavors and aromas.
Wine is a complex experience. Not only because it is a special drink that inspires, connects, challenges. But also because it is evaluated through a whole system of channels for recognizing density, smells, textures, etc. It is evaluated with the eyes, felt with the nose and mouth. Heard with the ears. Even the sound of the popping cork can be the first stop on the journey that drinking a glass of good wine represents.
In order to truly and consciously appreciate the bottle in front of us, we need to unlock all our senses, from the first sip. The setting, the mood and the company are important. But there are also some practical ways to help us enjoy wine.
So, how do we make the experience as fulfilling as possible?
Not immediately after foods with a dominant flavor
The moment a sip of wine enters our mouth, an explosion of sensations occurs. Receptors on the tongue detect acidity, bitterness, fruity flavors, spicy notes, and more. When these receptors have not been activated recently, they tend to react much more intensely, ensuring clearer sensations.
Recent consumption of foods with strong flavors and aromas can cloud the senses and dull the sensitivity of the receptors. Therefore, it is best not to taste wine immediately after eating spicy, acidic, or generally dominant foods.
After you have fully appreciated the wine’s flavor and aroma, it is important to add appropriate food. Larger amounts of alcohol on an empty stomach quickly dull the senses, and can also irritate the stomach, lead to intoxication, and ultimately ruin the overall enjoyment.
A glass of water for new sensations
You may have noticed that your mouth sometimes gets dry when you drink wine. To hydrate your mucous membranes and wash away the wine residue on your tongue, it’s a good idea to periodically take a sip of water. This way, your receptors will be “freed” and ready to absorb the next dose of flavors. What’s more, when you “clean” your mouth in this way, you’re more likely to detect new flavors and aromas that you missed with previous sips.
Pauses for more conscious aromas
When you take a sip of wine, especially the first one, it’s a good idea to hold it in your mouth for a few seconds. This will allow your receptors to literally absorb the aromas. And you – to smell as many flavors as possible. After you swallow, wait again. Don’t consume other drinks or food until you enjoy the aftertaste. After a bite of food, also wait before taking another sip. So – thought and patience for more pleasure.
A well-trained sense of smell
In the long run, there are tricks to sharpen your sense of smell and “train” it to recognize and perceive aromas better. For example, how will you enjoy the aftertaste of old leather or prunes if you don’t know what they smell like?
Experts advise taking advantage of every convenient opportunity to train your nose – to smell spices – familiar and unfamiliar, teas, flowers, even objects. This way, we will unlock the maximum potential of our sense of smell and we will feel not only the wine, but also the world around us more intensely and consciously.
Does a cold disturb the experience?
It would be an absolute waste of material and emotion to drink wine with a cold, especially with a runny nose. According to experts, over 80% of the taste of wine is felt through the sense of smell.
It is no coincidence that we first shake the glass and smell, and then sip. So even a slight runny nose would prevent us from appreciating even the best wine.
However you drink wine and whatever rules you follow, unless tasting is your profession, your assessment should not strive to be “correct” and it is certainly acceptable to be subjective. Taste tolerance varies from person to person. Some people like flavors that are too strong for others. What is a hint of cherry for one person may be more like sour cherry for someone else.
There are no exact rules when discovering your taste. The only universal rule is to enjoy it. Because wine is not just a drink, but a culture, an abundance of sensations, a whole experience. Especially if it is shared. And here we finally get to the point. How is it best to drink wine? With good company, of course.
And what will you drink today?
Sip. Savour. Celebrate… the wine!
