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Sangiovese and its aromas
Sangiovese is the red grape variety most cultivated in Italy. It has many different names and forms the basis of the most famous Tuscan wines. It is a grape variety with great phenotypic variability: the wines are different according to their areas of production. It prefers growing in places with warm days and cool nights. Evolution and trends have consecrated it as a base for full-bodied and elegant wines. Sangiovese matures late, is quite acidic and tannic, and expresses a range of typical aromas: violet, iris, broom, wild cherries, spices, coffee, tobacco, aromatic herbs and delicate notes of game and leather. There are, however, many...
Terroir and aromas
“Terroir” is a French expression difficult to translate in many languages, but with an enormous impact on the quality and characteristics of the wine. Among the many definitions of terroir, the one we like the most, for its simplicity, is “terroir is an interactive ecosystem, in a given place, including climate, soil and the vine”. There are therefore many variables differentiating a specific terroir and it is difficult to correlate all these variables to the wine aromas. But 4 of these variables have been studied and have an impact on the aromatic attributes of the wine: temperature, light, water status...
Aromachology
The search for one's own well-being can take different paths. There are many approaches that can be taken to improve our lifestyle so that we feel more at ease with ourselves and with the people around us. The trend in recent years has been leading the wellness sector towards the use of natural products, moving as far away as possible from the "absolute" chemistry that characterized the market especially in the early 80's. In a sense, there has been a gradual return to the rituals used in ancient Greece, where essential oils, plants, spices and infusions, were widely used to give relief to the body and...
Nebbiolo and its aromas
Nebbiolo is like a noble Pinot Noir. It is certainly less widespread than Pinot Noir on a global level. In fact, it is one of the most localized varieties. Its homeland is a small corner on the foggy hills of northern Italy. In Italy, Nebbiolo is celebrated as producing majestic, acidic red wines with an assertive tannic texture that need a long aging time to reveal a complex interweaving of aromas such as rose, violet, plum, bitter chocolate, persimmon, cherry jam, licorice, cinnamon, tar and truffle. The first dry Nebbiolo wine was created in the nineteenth century on the initiative of Camillo Benso, Count of...
6 ways to train your sense of smell
Eating and drinking are among the biggest pleasures in life. The flavors that make food and drink unique are for the most part due to the scents/aromas that are perceived retro nasally when the food or drink is in the mouth. The flavors that we can perceive are only 5 (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami), while the scents/aromas we can perceive are several hundred thousand. This explains why 80% of what we perceive when we eat is due to our sense of smell and if we eat with a blocked nose, what we are consuming seems flavorless. To better...