• non-taster
• taster
• and super taster.

In her lectures she uses blotting paper soaked in a solution of 6-propylthiouracil (a thyroid medication known simply as PROP) to discover the super-tasters in the group.  The students who experience no sensation are non-tasters, those who only slightly taste the solution are tasters.  Those most sensitive are super-tasters.

Generally, PROP tastes rather disgusting to super tasters.  So much so that when Bartoshuk hears a load groan from certain members in the audience she can quickly pin-point the super tasters in the room.

Many assume that super tasters would have the most problem with obesity.  However, Bartoshuk’s studies have shown that because super tasters are highly sensitive to taste variations – such as the slightest addition of salt or sugar- they are often less likely to eat rich, fatty foods.

How many times have you said “This desert is too sweet?”  It could be an indication of your taste sensitivity.

Take the test below to find out what kind of taster you are.  Keep in mind that where our tongue picks up five different tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami, our nose can discriminate among thousands of scents.  The enjoyment of wine is the combined work of our eyes, nose and tongue.

I first learned about Bartoshuk in ‘The Science of Wine, From Vine to Glass’ by Jaime Goode.  The taste test below comes straight from that book.

Taste Test

PROP is a prescription only drug.  Luckily blue food coloring also works. Here’s how…

What You’ll Need

• Blue food coloring
• A piece of paper with a hole punched in it, about 7mm (about 0.5 inch) in diameter, or use a reinforcer for a ring-binder
• A hand lens or magnifying glass

Method

Swab some blue food coloring onto the tip of your tongue.  Your tongue will take up the dye, but the fungiform papillae, which are small round structures, will stay pink.  Pop the piece of paper on the front portion of your tongue and count how many pink dots there are inside the circle with the aid of a magnifying glass.

Results

If you have…

• Fewer than fifteen papillae: non-taster
• Fifteen to thirty-five papillae: taster
• More than thirty-five: super taster

Still Curious?

If you like to geek out like me, you’ll love this interview with Linda Bartoshuk.  She talks in-depth about super tasters, obesity research, the tongue map and many other fascinating topics.  I watched it and took notes…

Lead Image Courtesy of DinSide.

1.bitter, 2.sour, 3.salty, 4.sweet

This map has led many people to believe that there are 4 specific types of tastebuds on the perimeter of the mouth representing bitter, sour, salty and sweet.

Yet scientific research has proven the tongue map a myth.

In reality, the receptors for tastes are spread somewhat evenly across the tongue.  A fifth taste is also present.  Known as umami, the fifth taste is a Japanese word that loosely translates as “meaty” or “savory”, a sensation elicited by glutamine.

Early Scientific Research and the Creation of the Tongue Map

In 1901 German scientist Herr Hanig published his PhD thesis in Philosophische Studien where he used a diagram to summarize his study on the distribution of the four taste sensitivities around the outer edge of the tongue.

While taste sensitivities were noted, they were incredibly minor.

Then in 1942, a researcher by the name of Edwin Boring wrote Sensation and Perception in the History of Experimental Psychology.

Boring took Hanig’s raw data and calculated real numbers for sensitivity levels.  These numbers were then plotted on a graph in such a way that lead other scientists to conclude that where sensitivity to a specific taste was minimal, the taste was therefore absent altogether.

From here, the infamous tongue map was created and began popping up in grade school textbooks (and wine education).  The map has since led people to believe that sweet, sour, salty and bitter can only be tasted in their respective region on the tongue.

How ‘the Map’ Became ‘the Myth’

Researcher Virginia Collings in 1974 published a study in Attention, Perception and Psychophysics that reexamined Hanig’s data.

She agreed with his main finding that slight sensitivity variations do exist around the tongue, but that these variations were too small to bear any significance.

Collings found that all tastes can be detected anywhere there are taste receptors.  These areas include the tongue, the soft palate at the back roof of the mouth, and even the epiglottis.

As well, a study published by David V. Smith and Robert F. Margolskee in Scientific America stated:

“In reality, all qualities of taste can be elicited from all regions of the tongue that contain taste buds.  At present, we have no evidence that any kind of spatial segregation of sensitivities contributes to the neural representation of taste quality, although there are some slight differences in sensitivity across the tongue and palate, especially in rodents.”

How We Actually Taste

Scientists now believe that all our taste buds experience bitter, salty, sweet, sour and umami.  Enzymes in your saliva break down food into chemicals which then come in contact with your taste buds, setting off a host of different reactions.

These reactions then travel along nerve fibers to your nose.  Where the palate can detect just five basic tastes, the nose can discriminate many thousands of odors.  And that’s where the real fun begins, particularly for wine lovers!

References

The Science of Wine, From Vine to Glass by Jamie Goode

True or False: Different Parts of the Tongue Sense Different Tastes by Krisha McCoy, MS

Scientific America: Secrets of the Senses by David V. Smith and Robert F. Margolskee

Live Science: The Tongue Map: Tasteless Myth Debunked by Christopher Wanjek

Images

‘Tongue Map’ courtesy of Wikipedia

‘Bogus Map’ courtesy of Denver Museum of Nature and Science

‘Monferrato mio!’ is written in both Italian and English, and this recipe is taken word for word out of the book.  Give it a whirl if you’re feeling feisty!

Beef “Carpione”

INGREDIANTS

• Beef “magatello”, 8 thick slices — “magatello” is defined in the book as:  also known as “girello” or “rotondino”, is a pretty lean cut of veal roast, very suitable for “vitello tonnato”, “carpaccio” or cutlets.
• Eggs, beaten, 2
• Bread crumbs, best from stale homemade bread or -even better- from breadsticks
• Olive oil to fry

For the “carpione”: garlic, 2-3 cloves rosemary sprigs and sage leaves; extra-virgin olive oil; white wine; white vinegar; salt

PREPARATION

Dip beef slices in beaten egg and dreg in crumbs, shake off excess

Fry on both sides in hot oil

Prepare the “carpione” frying lightly in a large pan garlic cloves, sage and rosemary in extra virgin olive oil

Add wine and vinegar and finish the cooking (12 – 15 min)

Have a deep plastic container with lid

Add beef slices and cover with home-style “carpione”

Keep in cool place for at least one day before serving and turning the container every so often to insure that all the beef is bathed in vinegar

This summer dish is kept in the refrigerator for ready meals and keeps well for over a week

Note: the “carpione” can be enriched with meatballs, fried zucchini, eggs, even fish: tenches or carps.

The book does not suggest a wine pairing, however the old adage goes:

“If they grow together, they go together”.

This recipe will keep well for over a week, which gives you the opportunity to try it with several different Piedmont varieties.  As well, because this recipe is suited for summertime now would be a perfect excuse to chill a light red from the region.   Enjoy!

Pearl S. Buck said:

The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death.

Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create — so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, their very breath is cut off…

They must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency they are not really alive unless they are creating.

Before I got into wine I had the impression that one must be somewhat pretentious and shallow to enjoy it.  This myth broke down the more I learned about wine and the more people I met in the industry.

I now realize that the above quote has much more relevance to the creation of and enjoyment of wine than I had once thought possible.

My questions for you:

• Do you see wine as being an art form?
• And in your opinion, who are the people in the wine industry doing the most inspiring work?

This is a rather special and rare thing to see in Europe.

Phylloxera is a small aphid that kills the European vinifera grape vine by attacking its roots. The aphid came to Europe from the U.S. in the late 1800′s when steamships began crossing the Atlantic and bringing over vegetation for study.

When phylloxera hit the shores of Europe it devastated the vineyards of wine growers from the most famous châteaux to those of peasants.  Through international scientific collaboration it was eventually discovered that the American rootstalk is resistant to phylloxera. Because the aphid is native to the east coast, the native American vine has evolved with resistance.

The European rootstalk… not so much.

The answer was to replant all European vineyards with the phylloxera resistant American rootstalk and then graft the grape variety onto the root.  Phylloxera is still around today and therefore all European vineyards remain on American rootstalk.

With one exception.  Phylloxera does not do so well in sandy soils and therefore it is possible to plant European rootstalk in this type of soil.

These images were taken on the same day and the vineyards are planted within a few meters from each other.  Both vineyards exhibit the indigenous Nerello Mascalese grape variety.  The first image shows an old style of vine training, and the second a more modern style.

There is a tremendous variety of soil on Mt Etna and this humble vineyard shown above just happens to be on a small patch of sandy goodness.  When you compare the two vineyards notice that the rootstalk from the first image are noticeably larger.  This is simply due to the fact that the vines are 60 years old.  I was told the grapes from these vines are sold to several winemakers in the area and used for blending.

The vines above are planted on a mixture of volcanic and riverbed soils and use American rootstalk.  You can tell by the size of their roots that they are fairly young (around 5 years old).  These vines are part of the Vivera family and are used in their wines.

All images were taken on my FlipCam, which I adore.

(for a larger view go here.)

I happened to listen in on one of the many tours being held at the Vatican before entering the Sistine Chapel.  It’s widely known that this was the masterpiece of Michaelangelo who was in his 30′s when he spent 4 years on his back, 18 hours a day to create this work of art.

The story the guide told was that Michaelangelo was asked by Pope Julius II in 1508 to paint the Sistine Chapel. Michaelangelo originally turned down the Pope saying that he was more interested in sculpture.  However, the Pope did not take no for an answer and forced the artist to move to Rome from Florance.

There are nine panels at the highest section which Michelangelo painted from the Book of Genesis.  The panel directly above where the Pope sat depicts God with his bum showing (I’m not kidding!).

The guide said that this was Michelangelo’s humorous payback by ‘mooning’ the Pope every time he looked directly up at the ceiling.

As for the rule on no photography, The Vatican goes to great lengths to preserve the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, and for obvious reasons.

– People continue to take pictures anyway.–

Here is a quick shot of several panels and the altar:

(for a larger view go here)

If you want to learn more about the Sistine Chapel and to see the frescoes more clearly check this out.

Thus Indigo Wine Press was born.

My goal with Indigo Wine Press is to create a wine education resource that illuminates the voices of those most intimately connected to the wine industry.  Cheriwalters.com will serve as my personal site where I will continue to write about how to build your palate, wine news, and anything else that seems interesting and relevant to wine.

As well, if you linked to any of the interviews that have been moved to Indigo Wine Press I have made sure that your link will still work and lead to the correct article.  All is good!

I’ve had a few struggles (who knew great video production is not as easy as it looks!?), but in the end I’m very excited to roll out this new concept and provide a more visual and hands-on way to learn about wine.  So much of my wine education thus far has come from books, and these interviews have given me a more thorough understanding of the wine industry.

I hope they will do the same for you!

Currently at Indigo Wine Press you will find an interview with an Arizona ecologist who is pushing the state’s wine industry into the fine wine scene.  You will also hear from a Napa Valley producer who has lead the innovation of organic and biodynamic vineyard practices in the region for the past 20 years.  His depth of knowledge on the subject will really open your eyes.  Oh, and there are some amazing Washington wine producers you should check out too.

And this blog comes to you from Sicily, Italy! I’ve been visiting regions in the country, taking video and interviewing Italian winemakers.  I’ve seen unbelievable art in Rome, learned to make pottery in Abruzzo, and today spent a good three hours in an organic vineyard learning from a Sicilian producer.

I will be in one of my all-time favorite wine regions this weekend- Piedmont- and will be meeting with several producers while there.

I can’t wait to share all I’ve learned in Italy with you and hope you enjoy Indigo Wine Press!

By the way, direct and honest feedback -to me- is a gift and I welcome any ideas you have to share about improving your experience with both sites.  As well, if there is someone you’d like to see interviewed or a subject you’d like covered feel free to contact me at cheri @ cheriwalters (dot) com.

I will see you at Indigo Wine Press!

In what seems like a heartbeat, the scent of a wine can invade our senses.  It can be rich blackberry, ripe raspberry or a big ol’ dollop of oak. Whatever it is you first smell when picking up your wine glass, enjoy it while it lasts because your nose will soon drop that scent.

Sounds odd, doesn’t it?  This is Adaptation, baby, and I guarantee it has happened to you!  Keep reading…

Just think of the last time you bought a new shampoo or perfume.  It’s scent fell into the background for you eventually.  You certainly weren’t smelling it the entire day.

Yet other people may have picked up on it and complemented you.  But your nose had adapted.  If you hadn’t adapted to it, that scent would have been all you smelled throughout the day.

With all the beautiful scents of springtime and food that you could be enjoying, what a shame to being married to just one scent all day.  Meh!

So what’s up?  The nose gets used to a wine’s most aggressive aromas through the process of adaptation and then proceeds to push them into the background, allowing for the more subtle aromas of the wine to come into focus.  This is how we are able to have an initial impression of a wine, and how in turn, it seems to become more complex in the glass.

Studies have shown that the nose can adapt to a smell in as little as 30 to 45 seconds.  However, adaptation is quite selective, where the nose will adapt to one scent, while increasing its sensitivity to others.

Tip: Splash decanting a young, tannic wine will aerate and soften its tannins.

Of course if you are enjoying a nice bottle of wine over dinner, there are all sorts of changes the wine experiences.

Without going too off-topic, one major evolution is when the wine comes in contact with oxygen, it’s tannins soften.

With a higher-end wine, the softening of its tannins allows the wine to show with elegance and in turn heightens your experience with it.

(As a side note, when wine has been left out for too long it becomes oxidized and is comparable to the browning of an apple once it’s been cut and left out past its time.  Oxidized wine kinda smells like- what I term- funky nuts.  Go figure!)

What do you see?

While the tannins soften in the glass, your nose is also adapting to the aggressive aromatics- and both are revealing the wine’s subtle aromas.

I don’t know about you, but all this nasal adaptation and evolution in the glass makes for a fascinating experience with wine.

The possibilities of different scents matched with the physical evolution of the wine in the glass, is for me, like looking into a kaleidoscope in the prime of my childhood.

Call me a wino, because this is total geek-out territory for me!

So the moral of this story is this… trust your initial instincts when first smelling a wine, then savor what comes next.

Oh, and have a great time looking into your kaleidoscope!

Photo Credits: “Noses” courtesy of robynejay, Decanting courtesy of suksim, Kaleidoscope courtesy of Maia C.

The event, aptly titled Voila!, is the co-creation of Panache Events and  Seattle Event Planner BreeAnn Gale.  BreeAnn and I have recently partnered as a team who will both plan your next event and create great wine experiences for you and your guests.

Voila! will be held at the Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa, in Kirkland, WA on Sunday, March 28 from 12 to 5 pm.

Plan to feel refreshed with tons of creative ideas.  Come join us!