THE
NOSE KNOWS BEST
Le Nez du Vin
As
any wine connoisseur will reiterate, the most essential
factor in wine tasting is not the taste, but the smell.
When judging wine, tasters can detect even the slightest
scents that make the wine bad or extraordinary. Whether
it’s that hint of vanillin or fresh-cut grass, or
even a pinch of shoe leather and cinnamon, the fragrance
is key. But the best sommeliers of the world aren’t
just born with an amazing nose. Much like athletes and musicians,
sommeliers and professional wine tasters must practice and
“train” their nose to discern the various bouquets
found in wine and Champagne.
For more than 25 years, this is why wine expert Jean Lenoir
has been working to develop and perfect the ultimate wine
smelling kit: Le Nez du Vin. A complete book contains 54
different bottled aromas typically found in the world’s
best wines and Champagnes. The aromas, divided into multiple
categories like fruity, vegetal or animal, also include
info sheets describing the types of grape varieties and
winemaking techniques specific to the scent. Designed to
last at least 10 years, the bottles are used to train the
nose to develop a “scent memory.” Tasters can
exercise their olfactory senses by trying to guess the aromas
in a glass of wine, or even by reversing the role and trying
to guess the wine based on several scents.
The
setback, however, is that a full kit can cost upwards of
$325. Price aside, both experts and amateurs will find Le
Nez du Vin both helpful and entertaining—and a great
gift for wine lovers everywhere. For more information, visit
www.lenez.com.
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