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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The Interaction of Wine <strong>and</strong> Food Flavor Persistency 217<br />
Many <strong>wine</strong> writers propose measuring <strong>and</strong> classifying flavor persistence on a hierarchical<br />
basis, using 3-second intervals (i.e., less than 3 seconds, 4–6 seconds, 7–9 seconds,<br />
10–12 seconds, 13 or more seconds). 23 This hierarchical basis is used in the measurement<br />
method presented in this text <strong>and</strong> is discussed further at the conclusion of this section.<br />
Food Flavor Persistency Flavor profile analysis is a process in which ‘‘the judge<br />
is asked to record aromas, flavors, <strong>and</strong> aftertastes in the order perceived <strong>and</strong> their intensities<br />
using a constant rating scale.’’ 24 Sensory analysts use the concept of the time-intensity curve<br />
to tie intensity <strong>and</strong> persistency together in <strong>food</strong> products. The typical time-intensity curve<br />
includes assessing maximum intensity, time to maximum, total duration, maximum rates of<br />
onset <strong>and</strong> decay, lag time, plateau time, <strong>and</strong> areas before <strong>and</strong> after maximum intensity. 25<br />
Persistency in <strong>food</strong> is part of an overall assessment of intensity, duration, <strong>and</strong> aftertaste.<br />
While persistency in <strong>wine</strong> provides an indication of quality, persistency in <strong>food</strong> flavor is<br />
more closely related to the intensity of ingredients included in the finished dish. The relationship<br />
with <strong>wine</strong> persistency is one of creating dishes that do not overpower the <strong>wine</strong><br />
served with them.<br />
How Persistency Is Measured The basic process for assessing persistency is<br />
similar for both <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong>. However, <strong>food</strong> requires chewing to release flavor compounds<br />
<strong>and</strong> induce retronasal smells in the oral cavity. Steps in the process for assessing <strong>food</strong>-<strong>and</strong><strong>wine</strong><br />
flavor persistency are described below:<br />
1. Take a good-sized sip of <strong>wine</strong> or small taste of <strong>food</strong>.<br />
2. If you are tasting a liquid, roll the liquid around your gums, cheeks, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
roof of your mouth for 2–3 seconds. If you are tasting a solid <strong>food</strong>, chew the<br />
<strong>food</strong> to release the flavors <strong>and</strong> to cover all of the mouth surfaces, ensuring complete<br />
contact with taste receptors.<br />
3. Swallow or spit. (Don’t talk—talking closes the nasal cavity.) 26 Keep your mouth<br />
closed <strong>and</strong> force the air out through your nose.<br />
4. Count the number of seconds that the <strong>wine</strong> or <strong>food</strong> flavors persistent. Finish in<br />
<strong>wine</strong> can last up to a minute in some cases. 27<br />
Following are the value b<strong>and</strong>s for the number of seconds in a <strong>wine</strong> or <strong>food</strong>’s finish<br />
(see Figures B.1 <strong>and</strong> B.2):<br />
3 seconds or less 0–2 on the 10-point scale<br />
4–6 seconds 2–4 on the 10-point scale<br />
7–9 seconds 4–6 on the 10-point scale<br />
10–12 seconds 6–8 on the 10-point scale<br />
13 or more seconds 8–10 on the 10-point scale<br />
THE INTERACTION OF WINE AND<br />
FOOD FLAVOR PERSISTENCY<br />
Rule #12: Flavor persistency of <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> should be equal.<br />
A general definition for persistence is when the flavor continues to be perceptible for<br />
a period of time after swallowing. While the basic level of persistence seems relatively<br />
straightforward in terms of the number of seconds the flavor persists, the evaluator needs