Ever wonder where the vintner comes up with the nomenclature, “buttery, hay scent” while describing that glass of chardonnay, or why that same unattractive guy’s cologne brings to mind your sexy personal trainer who wears it? Jean Lenoir’s Make Scents of Wine has taken the same logic that drives these questions – language and scent recognition- and applied it to a new wine-smelling kit, Le Nez du Vin.
Le Nez du Vin is a mixture of aromatherapy and Rosetta Stone for wine. Packaged as an educational wine kit, these little bottles train your nose to lift a specific smell amidst a meritage of scents; similar to how a policeman trains a drug-sniffing dog. Familiarizing your scent palate with exactly how hazelnut smells will allow you to a) recognize, b) name and c) appreciate the same scent in a glass of wine. Therefore, like the wine guy, you can name each scent ingredient and like his cologne, recognize it in a crowd.
Each kit includes vials of the most common aromas found in wines along with a supplementary instructional guide to the technical names of each scent. For beginners, an array of six or twelve basic aromas provides an introduction to depicting wine scents. For the more developed taster, the Master Kit of fifty-four aromas allows an expert to perfect his scent-detecting abilities. Scents range from fruity berries to earthy vegetals, with animals and flowers in between.
The next time you enjoy a rich glass of merlot with your dessert, instead of exclaiming how “good” your wine smells, you can describe the hint of walnut and dash of cherry emanating from your glass, impressing your date or your boss, especially if your date is your boss…
$49-$299, makescentsofwine.com
The aromas are reduced over time.