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Cabernet Sauvignon is the most cultivated red grape in the world for its ease of cultivation and resistance. It is highly appreciated because it can express wines with full body and excellent aromatic potential. It is a grape variety that was created in Bordeaux in the 17th century from the crossing of Cabernet Franc with Sauvignon Blanc. Together with Merlot, it is the base of Bordeaux wines ("Bordeaux" blend). Depending on the region and the climate where it's cultivated, it can give rise to wines with very different aromas and characteristics. European Cabernets are generally full-bodied, tannic, with aromas that recall vegetable...

We sometimes hear that we have one nostril that works better than the other in smelling. And when smelling food or wine, some may tilt their heads to facilitate access to one of the two nostrils. But is it really the case that one nostril is stronger than the other? Let's start by saying that only a small percentage of the air we inhale reaches our olfactory receptors. It is therefore important to have the "passage" unobstructed and indeed "sniff" strongly to increase the amount of air (aromatic molecules) that reaches our olfactory receptors. The existence of a stronger nostril is actually...

It has happened to everyone... either while doing a wine tasting or upon entering a room... suddenly you realize: "I smelled a specific scent earlier and now I can't detect it anymore: has it disappeared?" This phenomenon is in great part due to the naming process of habituation that allows our brain to unconsciously "filter" the smells already detected and known, and is probably a primordial defense mechanism. In fact in the human's early days, one of the main uses of the olfactory sense was to smell dangers even before they manifested themselves to the other senses (sight, touch, hearing). It was important to...

When wine is served and a person begins the practice of smelling it repeatedly, it can seem like witnessing a difficult ritual shrouded in mystery. A taster uses his senses to establish a relationship with the wine much as any other individual does, but there is a substantial difference. The taster relies on his own experience or on the memory of his own encounters with smells when performing an evaluation of the various aromatic references and classifying them. This evaluation is supported by the use of a set procedure, and the taster must practice a high degree of concentration. Concentration is the element that distinguishes...

Black pepper is a very characteristic scent that most can easily recognize, as it is used as a seasoning in many dishes and is easy to find. The scent of pepper is due to a chemical molecule called rotundone. The name was chosen because it was discovered for the first time in the essential oil of Cyperus rotundus (a plant called zigolo weed or "peppercorn"). The same molecule is also present in the essential oils of many other spices: black pepper, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme and geranium. In both red and white wines, this molecule can be present in high concentrations,...