Sensory Science & Champagne: The Unlikely/Likely Pairing.
Paesh seeks to provide a sensory experience…one that is specially curated and uniquely positioned to transport you to a new destination. It’s fitting the first science post is centered on sensory science: the scientific discipline that measures, tests, analyzes, and interprets the responses to the primary five senses. Touch, Hearing, Sight, Smell, and Taste. A new fragrance, packaging design for a new cell phone, or even noise-canceling headphones are all subjected to sensory evaluation to help guide companies to launch products consumers desire and need. To make this exploration into sensory science a little more interesting let’s connect sensory science with champagne tasting.
The taste receptors located in our mouth (tongue, cheeks & roof) and the upper parts of our digestive system facilitate the five primary taste perceptions. Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Umami (Savory). Each person's taste reception of these elements in every product we consume is subjective and as unique as our DNA. Each champagne has a distinctive composition determined by multiple factors such as the grape varieties, soil composition, region, fermentation, residual sugars, etc.
Each person’s palate and every champagne tasting provide a sensory experience to determine our likes, dislikes, or indifference. Some of us may be more sensitive to bitter or sweet, which may or may not be a preference dependent on the product. A coffee lover has an affinity for a degree of bitterness, which may or may not directly translate to the affinity of bitterness in other foods or beverages. The soil composition of various minerals in the Champagne region is linked to the salinity perception of extra brut or brut champagne. Interesting right? Sweet, sour, or bitter are typical descriptors for wine evaluation, but salty can also be perceived.
Taste, Aroma, Hearing, Touch & Sight
How are the five primary senses tied to champagne tasting? Let’s approach it layer by layer. Carbonation adds a level of complexity to taste, given it temporarily disrupts our perception of sweet, bitter, sour, umami, and salty notes. Lemonade is comprised of sweet, sour, and some bitter notes. More notably, the sweetness lingers on our tongue the longest after each sip. With carbonated lemonade, the sweetness perception may vary with a heightened perception of sour and/or bitter notes as the lingering sweetness may not appear as prominent due to carbonation. Carbonation is the MVP of champagne.
The vessel selection for champagne is not only tied to taste but also aroma, which is inextricably linked. The iconic champagne tower displayed at weddings or parties rests upon the foundation of champagne coupe glasses. It’s certainly a showstopper but not necessarily ideal for champagne tasting. The wider vessel of the champagne coupe also means a more rapid release of fine bubbles or carbon dioxide from champagne. In addition, it’s significantly more challenging to smell the aroma of the wine bouquet as it rapidly dissipates into the surroundings. Lastly, carbonation is undoubtedly responsible for the acoustics we love from a popped bottle. For champagne tasting, a champagne coupe is not ideal for the full wine-tasting experience, however, it is aesthetically pleasing and great for champagne cocktails.
What about a beautiful long-stem champagne flute? The sleek, narrow vessel of a flute is excellent for retaining carbonation throughout the sipping experience. Conversely, the narrow vessel can pose two limitations. One, you cannot swirl the glass of champagne to release aromatic compounds before tasting. Second, it is challenging to inhale the aroma before the first sip. Regardless, champagne flutes remain an elegant vessel for your next toast.
What is the ideal vessel to maximize the full-tasting experience of champagne? At Champagne houses and fine dining establishments, champagne is served in a tulip-shaped glass. Champagne may also be served in large glasses typically reserved for full-bodied red wines. The rim of the glass is the happy medium between a champagne coupe and a flute which allows a person to fully inhale the aroma with ease. The available headspace in the glass provides the perfect environment for swirling action to fill your nostrils with hints of stone fruits, brioche, floral bouquets, or other aromatic notes.
Taste, hearing, and smell were covered, but how does touch come into the picture? Unless we spill the champagne, which is known to happen on occasion, we don’t physically touch the champagne with our hands. The temperature of the champagne can significantly influence aromatic compounds which will undoubtedly influence our perception of taste. No one wants to drink a warm glass of champagne! Consequently, the placement of our fingers around the stem of the glass allows the champagne to remain in a suggested, narrow temperature range a little longer.
Sight.