At a recent symposium I was accused of devoting too much time to seeking out and describing the aromas that are to be found in wine. I said nothing but I felt somewhat sorry for my accuser, for he was seemingly unaware that the sense of smell every bit as important to the enjoyment of wine as the sense of taste. Anyone who doubts this need only taste a wine when they have a bad cold, then to realize that because their sense of smell has been temporarily blocked, they will not be able to know whether they are drinking a great wine of the Domaine de la Romanee Conti or the simplest Cotes du Rhone. To attempt to analyze or enjoy a wine without referring to its aromas and bouquets is like leafing through a book and reading only every fourth page. Every wine from every varietal and wine-growing region has its unique personality and learning to recognize the perfumes in a given wine helps us to confirm that wine's authenticity and to judge its quality.

I am rarely 100% enthusiastic about products that appear that claim to help us develop our ability to enjoy wine. In the case of Jean Lenoir's Le Nez du Vin, however I find myself remarkably enthusiastic, for by far this is the best learning tool I have ever encountered that is designed to aid those wine lovers who want to develop their olfactory memory.

Best sellers in France and England for the last 20 years, and just now introduced here, these products are kits containing different aromas in small glass bottles, each aroma being basic to the white and red wines from France and around the world. In addition to 54 different aromas, the deluxe edition also contains a well written book and illustrated cards describing the botanical origin or each aroma, as well as classifications of aromas according to vineyards and grape varieties. A step down in number and cost but not in quality are the collections of 25 aromas (12 each of red and white wine and one of the aroma of healthy cork), and those of 12 aromas (each offering aromas typical of a given wine or region (red Bordeaux, red Burgundy, Champagne, Sauternes, etc.).

Understanding the language of wine is not an end in itself. It is, however, one of the important ways of increasing our ability to both appreciate wine and to communicate our love about it and. amateurs and professionals will find these kits invaluable.

© Daniel Rogov