Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user3591 — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 18:27:42 GMT

This article is wonderful Lisa! I have my degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry too, and the science of wine is what has drawn me to it! Very good explanation, I really enjoyed reading your article!

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user9568 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:05:05 GMT

Also after looking at the article again, I realize I made a grave mistake. The scientist who coined "mercaptan" was not Dutch, he was Danish. I hope I didn't offend anyone. (I heart Kierkegaard.)

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user9568 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:59:14 GMT

Funny, I was told that before by a guy I was dating. Re oxidation: Science-wise, oxidation refers to changes in hypothetical states of charges in chemical species. Long ago, they only considered it to be when oxygen combines with things, but we've found that's not the most accurate way to think of it. When acetaldehyde is formed from ethanol, chemists consider that reaction to be "oxidative" because they're focusing on the state of the carbon in the compounds. Thus, a lot of smells related to acetaldehyde or other chemicals resulting from oxidation of carbon compounds are considered oxidative by somms. When it comes to wine, most, if not all, of these reactions have oxygen gas in the air playing as a major factor, but not the only factor. And note, oxidation technically can occur without oxygen, and the word "reduction" has nothing to do with anything being reduced.

There are many different ways a wine can evolve and there is not just one set "oxidation pathway" or chemical byproduct that the word "oxidative" refers to alone. So there is not just one oxidative smell. I think it's useful for somms to have a more specific idea of what they're referring to (ex., is it from oxygen exposure after opening the bottle, or at a certain point in vinification, or if they're associating it with a varietal with affinities toward oxidation, etc.), because it would help communication both within the field and with others. Attention to language might help make it clearer whether we want to reserve this word for flaws alone or whether it should be used more flexibly.

Well, not under 50, but that was at least a little shorter, right? I recommend reading Jamie Goode. He writes excellent stuff on oxidation and reduction that's very accessible.

Thanks for your interest!

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user2262 — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 01:01:46 GMT

Lisa, can you (or anyone) summarize this in 50 words or less? Often less is more.

Rick Schofield

Port Ewen, NY

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user2161 — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 03:27:17 GMT

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

Very helpful.

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user2819 — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 04:42:40 GMT

Knowledge is boundless, thank you for the contribution.

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user3619 — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:17:54 GMT

Awesome! Thank you!!

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:44:12 GMT

Bravo, indeed. I completed an NSF Honors Research Thesis in Biochemistry and minored in Chemistry. The material presented within is succinct and easy to understand. As there seems to be an antipodal relationship within wine, those of us who favor the science of the subject can often be scrutinized as making the topic "cold and lifeless;" however, for those of us who truly live and breathe science, the combination of the beauty and veritable "dance" of the universe are the epitome of artistic expression. Well done and best of luck in your future endeavors.

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user8926 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:53:54 GMT

Great article. I hope we see more articles of this nature.

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user7809 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:13:59 GMT

I'm not well versed in chemistry- so thanks for making this easy to understand! This is a fantastic article and it explains many of the questions I had also.

Thanks!

RE: Somm vs. Scientist: How Winespeak Relates to Chemspeak

user3557 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:37:23 GMT

Lisa,

Great article. Concise and well written. You answered a number questions I have had on my list for the last year! Now if we could only find an optical engineer to explain how we judge brightness in wine (star-bright, day-bright, etc.). i suspect it too is a victim of a difference in nomenclature used by somms and scientists, and is actually more related to reflectivity and affected by clarity as well (Tyndall effect).

Thanks, Jim Gerakaris