L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Poetic approach to winemaking W i n e - s n o b - i - tis (wīn-snŏb - ī'tĭs) noun. An infection spr- ead through unprotected conversation with the enologically overbearing.  In a desperate act of self-pro- tection, I scan the room for a sign that reads EXIT. You get it, right? I am somewhere I don't want to be, knee-deep in communicable, pretentious wine talk, hoping to get out before falling victim to the disorder. I shall say no more of it. Be- cause I prefer to move in the posi- tive. Because I am able now to in- troduce the topic to you, on my own terms. To begin, I suggest you entrust yourself to a brief and interesting article from science journalist Anjana Ahuja, published in The Sunday Times (The Intimate Link Between Smell and Memory, De- cember 6, 2007) on a fascinating subject matter connecting smell and memory: "The news that elephants use their sense of smell to prompt me- mories – females can locate up to 30 herd members simply by snif- fing urine patches, and are bewil- dered when confronted with the urine of calves that they thought were moving behind them – should not surprise us. Smell is linked intimately to remembering. Who has not been haunted by the signature scent of a lost love, or been transported back to childhood with the whiff of Far- ley's Rusks? Anatomy can explain this. Our sense of smell is anchored in the primary olfactory cortex. This part of the brain is yoked to both the hippocampus, which proces- ses memory, and the amygdala, which regulates emotions. This means that aromas that prod the memory also trigger an emotional accompaniment. So we perceive memories triggered by smell as more intense than those provoked by sight or sound. Studies, including several at the Monell Chemical Senses Cen- tre in Philadelphia, have shown that odours can be useful memory aids. People who are asked to learn in the presence of a distinc- tive smell, such as violet leaf, show impressive powers of recall when the scent is recreated; they perform better than people whose learning and recall is done in the absence of odour." End of article. Thank you, Anjana. OK: now, this is what I wan- ted to get to: The connection of wine's per- fume to memory (and emotion) is not to be overlooked. Or un- der-valued. It certainly deserves greater reverence than was given when wine-snob-itis spread to di- scussion about critical wine eva- luation – where the scent of wine became just "criterion" for jud- gement, turning the conversation into puffed-up wine talk. It is important, if not great fun, to learn to identify wine's aroma- tic indicators, i.e., primary aro- mas such as fruit, florals, herb, and secondary notes like nut and spice. To do so will help you bet- ter appreciate grape varieties, ter- roir, aspects of winemaking, etc. If you are just getting started put- ting nose to glass, using a good Tasting Sheet as a guide, one that provides articulate tasting voca- bulary for both reds and whites, will help you along. One can find suitable tasting sheets online quite easily these days. Now, let's reorganize a bit: forget the tasting sheet, throw it away. A calm environment free of distractions might help you to concentrate on aromas of whate- ver wine you happen to be enjoying, perhaps stirring the me- mory. I say "perhaps" because this is not entirely voluntary stuff: it's not every sniff that will spark the memory of a childhood walk in the autumn forest; or the smell of grandfather's old hat; or the scent of a first love's skin. Sometimes I want to drink. Other times, I want only to dream. To remember. To close my eyes and trip back to another time, to someone or someplace that exist now only in my me- mory. With scents of dried leaves and roses, Barolo can carry me back to autumn afternoons of my youth. Brunello, smelling of cherries, tobacco, and leather, every so often recalls me a long- gone moment inside of grand- father's hug. Sea salt-y and her- bal Vermentino will occasionally transport me to seaside walks with an old lover I've never really been able to say goodbye to. News update: According to the Center for Wine Wellness (CWW), wide- spread activity of the contagion known as wine-snob-itis rose again last week. Although no deaths have been reported, the CWW expects activity to remain elevated for some time. Prodding the memory and remembering th- rough olfactory interaction with wine is known to help protect against wine-snob-itis and its complications. Meanwhile, in other news: Singer/songwriter Paul Simon writes: "Preserve your memories They're all that's left you." Tasting Note Marisa Cuomo Costa d'A- malfi Furore Bianco Fiorduva A seductive siren calling out from Amalfi's rocky coast with transporting scents of white flowers, apricots, Mediterranean herb, candied fruit, hints of citrus and fig. Well-structured, offering licks of honey and sea salt on the finish. One of Italy's top white wines. Good wine is also a good way to create new, pleasant memories, associating fine taste with beautiful sce- neries Wine, its scent and taste can bring back memories and emotions JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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