Wine Tasting 101

"The best way is to go outside and smell and taste everything you can get your hands on. And think and use your words to describe what you discover."

Despite wearing perfume being a "big no-no" we learn in wine tasting 101, I accidentally landed a part-time job as a perfumer when I was looking for my first wine job a long time ago. Coincidentally, my wine teacher and perfume boss both gave me the same advice when I asked how to improve my skills. Since then, I've become that suspicious person who sniffs and considers an artichoke, who is seduced by the scent of bright red strawberries, and who wanders into the wild woods with a pack of earthy mushrooms in the middle of the supermarket after the rain.

I used to think that wine professionals like sommeliers and perfumers were born with exceptional nose sensitivity and a super talent for smelling. While some people are born with these gifts, books on wine tasting and perfume explain that a person's ability to smell and taste depends largely on training. For example, a research team from Rockefeller University in New York reports that the human nose can distinguish at least a trillion different scents! And this kind of information inspires me to keep learning to smell and taste everything I can get my nose to.

And summer is a perfect time to practice, as fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers in vibrant colors attract our eyes while intriguing our noses with a big burst of seasonal scents on store shelves and farmers markets.