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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,...

Smelling a glass of wine is a practice that requires a certain "education". To evaluate the aromas of a wine it is necessary to regain possession of our dormant olfactory abilities, hence, reactivate our sense of smell to discover a world that we know only in part. There are many things to look at when examining a wine's bouquet. To begin with, we must consider that each wine has its own unique characteristics linked to the grape of origin, the area of ​​cultivation, the method of vinification, the type of aging, evolution and more. It is essential that the aromas that comprise the bouquet are distinct and...

What are aroma wheels used for? Aroma wheels have been proliferating for years now. In the 1980s, Professor A.C. Noble from the University of California UC Davis created the first aroma wheel to describe the aromatic qualities of wine. Today there are several versions developed by sommeliers around the world and are used to describe the qualities of different types of food and drink: wine, olive oil, beer, coffee, chocolate, tea, etc..  What is the reason for this success and proliferation of the aroma wheel which is at times quite difficult to read, such as when printed on the page of a...

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a product that never ceases to amaze both for its flavors and its health benefits. The health benefits of consuming it raw are numerous and already well-noted by many. For example: it combats damage due to free radicals which leads to premature cellular-ageing; it is considered "heart-friendly" if consumed within a balanced diet; it seems to help in the prevention of certain tumors; it is believed that a diet rich in EVOO can be associated with a lower instance of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (click here to learn more); it has anti-inflammatory properties.   What many people don't know is that EVOO...