How sommeliers train their nose? || The 54 aroma kit (Le Nez du Vin) || Wine Tasting

Introduction

In the sophisticated world of wine tasting, there is more than just taste that is employed by sommeliers to determine the profile of a wine by industry professionals. Smell plays a significant role and developing a sophisticated sense of smell is crucial for industry professionals. The "Le Nez du Vin" (The Nose of Wine) aroma kit is one such tool that has been an indispensable aid in this endeavor.

Kit Manual 

It considers what 54-aroma kit significance, composition, application, and influences the professional competency of sommeliers and wine consumers.

The Science of Smell and Wine Tasting

Aroma Bottles

To appreciate the importance of the 54-aroma kit, an understanding of the role of smell in wine tasting is necessary. While the taste buds identify basic tastes like sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, the nose detects thousands of subtle scents that establish a wine's complexity, character, and depth.
When you swirl a glass of wine, volatile compounds attach to olfactory receptors, creating a bouquet of aromas that are described using terms like "blackberry," "cedar," "leather," or "violet." Yet identifying those aromas is a learned ability—a shortfall the 54-aroma kit is designed to fill.

The 54-Aroma Kit: Ingredients and Functionality

Different Aroma Categories

The 54-aroma kit, normally referred to by its brand name "Le Nez du Vin," was developed by French wine expert and educator Jean Lenoir. It consists of 54 vials, each containing a concentrated aroma commonly found in wines. These aromas range from fruits and flowers to spices, woods, and earthy notes, including:

• Fruits: Pear, blackcurrant, citrus, cherry
• Flowers: Acacia, rose, violet
• Spices: Clove, cinnamon, vanilla
• Woods: Oak, cedar
• Earthy Notes: Leather, truffle, mushroom

Along with the vials are flashcards featuring illustrations and extensive descriptions of the scents, including their relation to particular grape varieties, regions, and styles of wine.

Aroma Flashcards

Classifying Wine Aromas

Wine Aromas

Wine aromas fall into three general categories:

1. Primary Aromas: These originate from the grape itself and are fruity and floral, e.g., blackcurrant, melon, and violet. For example, blackcurrant is generally associated with Cabernet Sauvignon.
2. Secondary Aromas: These result from the processes of winemaking like fermentation and oak aging. Examples include vanilla and butter, common in Chardonnays that have undergone malolactic fermentation.
3. Tertiary Aromas: These develop during aging and include complex aromas like tobacco, mushroom, and leather, which are the result of chemical reactions during the aging of the wine.

Training Methodology and Benefits

The 54-aroma kit gives a structured study program designed to create olfactory memory, along with developing sensory skills. Sommeliers use it as follows:

1. Cultivating Olfactory Consciousness

Sommeliers begin by familiarizing themselves with the scent of each vial, taking mental note of scents.

2. Practicing Identification

They practice by recognizing scents unlabeled, schooling their noses to pick up subtle odors in complex mixtures.

3. Linking Aromas to Wine Varietals

Over time, they associate specific aromas with grape varieties, wine styles, or aging regimes, for instance, vanilla with wines aged in oak or blackcurrant with Cabernet Sauvignon.

4. Sharpening Descriptive Skills

The kit enhances their ability to communicate wine aromas during tastings, education, and professional evaluations.

Beyond the Basics: Wine Faults Kit and Emerging Tools

Wine Faults Aroma Kit

Whereas the 54-aroma kit is interested in nice aromas, the wine faults kit is interested in common faults like:

• Cork Taint (TCA): Smells like wet cardboard, caused by fungi interacting with certain chemicals.
• Brettanomyces: Produces "horse sweat" or "barnyard" flavors, either a fault or complexity additive depending on concentration.
• Vegetal Notes: Overly green aromas that evoke unripe grapes.

Emerging technologies, including electronic noses and thermal-based olfaction displays, are being integrated with traditional aroma kits, which further facilitates sensory training for winemakers and sommeliers.

Key Studies and Applications

Research highlights the contribution of wine aroma kits in wine education:

1. Olfactory Learning Equipment: Literature underscores tools like aroma kits in viticulture and enology teaching that aids student in identifying odors (Di Fuccio et al., 2021).
2. Sensorial Marketing: Scent kits are used to engage consumers and to educate influencers, sommeliers, and journalists (Maio, 2022).
3. Le Nez Du Vin and Odor Recognition: The kit remains a component of sensory training programs around the world, enhancing recognition and recall of the most important wine aromas (Battista et al., 2018).

Practical Tips for Using the 54-Aroma Kit

1. Take Your Time: Allow a few minutes per fragrance to fully appreciate it.
2. Keep a Diary: Record your impressions and progress.
3. Practice Regularly: Practice at regular time.
4. Pair with Wine Tasting: Use the kit together with real wine tastings to reinforce skills.
5. Find Daily Scents: Expand your vocabulary of scents by exploring odors in your surroundings, garden, and kitchen.

Accessibility and Broader Applications

One of the greatest advantages of the 54-aroma kit is that it is affordable. While high-end wine tasting on a frequent basis can be expensive, the kit offers a low-cost means of sensory training. Furthermore, its application is not confined to wine alone but can also be extended to other beverages like beer, whiskey, and coffee, and to careers like perfumery and culinary arts.

Conclusion

The 54-aroma kit is a cornerstone of wine education, offering a systematic way of exploring the intricate world of wine aromas. Combined with supporting tools like the wine faults kit and complemented by new technologies, it constitutes a total solution to mastering the art and science of wine tasting. So, whether you are a seasoned pro or an enthusiast beginner, they can add to the enjoyment and your understanding of wine, one scent at a time.