food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington
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Chapter 10 Flavor Intensity <strong>and</strong> Flavor Persistency<br />
In-Mouth Process Determining flavor type <strong>and</strong> intensity is based on aroma perception<br />
<strong>and</strong> retronasal olfaction (the smell of a <strong>food</strong> or <strong>wine</strong> once it’s in your mouth, which<br />
is due to the connection between the oral <strong>and</strong> nasal cavities). Much of what you perceive as<br />
taste or flavor is primarily driven by your ability to smell.<br />
To maximize your potential when identifying aromas in <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong>, you need to<br />
follow the simple nosing steps described in Chapter 2. When evaluating <strong>wine</strong>, fill the glass<br />
no more than one-third full. This will allow you to properly swirl the <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> fully release<br />
aromas. Tilt the glass toward you <strong>and</strong> place your nose inside the bowl. Take one deep sniff<br />
or three or four short sniffs, then remove your nose from the glass to consider the aromas.<br />
This is what is considered the ‘‘first nose’’ of the <strong>wine</strong>, providing you with your first impressions<br />
of the aroma. After swirling the <strong>wine</strong> a second time <strong>and</strong> allowing the aromas to<br />
open up more fully, follow the same smelling procedure. Many times, in this ‘‘second nose,’’<br />
you will notice aromas different from those you detected in the first nose. This process can<br />
be done for <strong>food</strong> while it is on a plate, in a cup, or on a fork.<br />
A challenge when identifying <strong>and</strong> assessing the intensity of in-mouth flavors is maximizing<br />
the ability to detect specific flavors <strong>and</strong> their intensity. Numerous research studies<br />
have evaluated the impact that talking, swallowing, exhaling through the nose, chewing, <strong>and</strong><br />
tongue movements have on an evaluator’s perception of in-mouth flavors. 4 When identifying<br />
flavors in <strong>food</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong>, the main objectives are to release the flavor components while in<br />
the oral cavity, <strong>and</strong> to ensure that the back-of-the-mouth nasal cavity is open. As you swallow<br />
<strong>and</strong> talk, the nasal cavity closes, limiting access to retro-nasal flavors.<br />
To release the flavor components in <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> other liquids, it is helpful to retain the<br />
product in the oral cavity for several seconds (up to a minute) with normal breathing. Once<br />
the time has passed, the air is deliberately exhaled through the nose. This process ensures<br />
that the nasal cavity is open to help you to better assess types of flavors <strong>and</strong> their intensity.<br />
Some <strong>wine</strong> evaluators will suck in additional air through the mouth to intensify flavor sensations.<br />
Chewing releases flavor compounds in some <strong>food</strong>s, assisting in maximizing in-mouth<br />
flavors <strong>and</strong> identification. As with liquids, experiments have demonstrated that <strong>food</strong> molecules<br />
released into the airspace of the oral cavity will proceed to the nasal cavity if air is<br />
exhaled through the nose while the lips are closed. 5<br />
FOOD FLAVOR CATEGORIES<br />
Once you have tasted a <strong>food</strong> item, note the dominant flavor(s) present. Also note any<br />
other flavors present in the <strong>food</strong>. Most of the major <strong>food</strong> flavors are fairly self-explanatory.<br />
However, one that may need additional discussion is umami, identified by Japanese flavor<br />
researchers. In Japanese, the word umami basically translates as ‘‘deliciousness.’’ Most <strong>wine</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> <strong>pairing</strong> books suggest that umami is not generally a key driver when matching<br />
<strong>food</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong>. 6 Further, <strong>pairing</strong> experts suggest umami is a concept similar to savoriness or<br />
meatiness in terms of a <strong>pairing</strong> characteristic. 7 For our purposes, umami is described as the<br />
flavor associated with sources such as soy products, mushrooms, MSG, meat glazes, <strong>and</strong><br />
tomatoes. While umami is not a main factor in <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> matching, it does create a<br />
<strong>wine</strong>-friendly characteristic in <strong>food</strong> that makes certain <strong>food</strong>s more versatile with regard to<br />
matching them with various <strong>wine</strong>s. A suggestion for <strong>pairing</strong> <strong>wine</strong>s to <strong>food</strong>s with umami<br />
flavors is to use medium- to full-bodied red <strong>wine</strong>s depending on the strength of the umami<br />
flavor present in the <strong>food</strong> item. Highly intense umami flavor will overshadow light whites,<br />
but less intense umami-flavored dishes work well with all types of white <strong>wine</strong>s.<br />
Earthy <strong>food</strong> flavors provide a positive, <strong>wine</strong>-friendly element in many <strong>food</strong>s, including<br />
garlic, potatoes, mushrooms, truffles, some cheeses, rainbow trout, beans, <strong>and</strong> many grains.<br />
Earthy <strong>food</strong>s work particularly well with <strong>wine</strong>s that have earthy elements. Wines from the