The Globe & Mail - 7 sweet-scented wines that betray the tongue

by: Beppi Crosariol, The Globe and Mail, July 27, 2013

When it comes to wine, the nose trumps the tongue almost every time. It’s one of the first lessons taught in wine schools. That protrusion below our eyes is capable of detecting thousands of scents, yet the tongue interprets just five basic sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and the vaguely meaty essence called umami. The sensory organs work in tandem, of course. We taste with both organs as we sip, taking in aromatic air as well as wine. But in rough scientific terms, when we “taste” such things as thyme, citrus or pepper, it’s mainly the nose talking to the mouth. Here’s the proof: If your nostrils are stuffed up from a cold, you don’t taste an awful lot, which is why kids sometimes plug their noses while eating broccoli... / Read More