The art and science of wine tasting | Qian Janice Wang | TEDxNoVA

Key Concepts

• Complexity (in wine): A subjective quality assessed by wine critics, often involving multiple layers of aroma and taste that evolve over time.
• Chemical Complexity: The actual chemical compounds present in the wine.
• Psychological Complexity: The perceived complexity of a wine, residing in the mind of the taster, influenced by experience and attention.
• Berlin Curve: A psychological model illustrating the relationship between complexity and liking, suggesting an inverted U-shape – too little or too much complexity leads to disliking.
• Static Complexity: The number of different flavors perceived at a single moment in time.
• Dynamic Complexity: The evolution of flavors over time while tasting.
• Temporal Check All That Apply (t-CAT): A methodology used to track flavor perception changes over time during tasting.

Understanding Complexity in Wine: Chemical vs. Psychological Perception

This presentation explores the elusive concept of “complexity” in wine, challenging the notion that it’s a straightforward quality inherent in the beverage itself. The speaker argues that complexity is often a cognitive experience, heavily influenced by the taster’s perception and expertise.

The Berlin Curve and Initial Considerations

The presentation begins by introducing the “Berlin Curve,” a psychological principle demonstrating that both overly simple and overly complex stimuli are less enjoyable than those with an “ideal” level of complexity. This sets the stage for questioning whether wine follows the same pattern. The speaker highlights the subjective nature of complexity, noting that ten different people might offer ten different definitions. Matt Kramer’s quote emphasizes the quality of wines being “seemingly limitless” in their ability to reveal new flavors with repeated tasting, framing complexity as an artistic rather than purely scientific attribute.

Chemical Complexity: Is More Always Better?

The speaker differentiates between chemical complexity – the actual chemical compounds in the wine – and psychological complexity – the perceived complexity in the taster’s mind. A study conducted at the University of Oxford investigated whether wine blends were perceived as more complex than single-varietal wines. Six wines were used: three single-varietal wines and three 50/50 blends of those same wines. 80 participants, ranging from wine novices to certified experts, blind-tasted the wines and provided ratings on various attributes, including complexity, liking, and willingness to pay.

Surprisingly, the overall results showed that participants could not reliably distinguish between blends and single-varietal wines. However, novices were slightly better at identifying blends than experts. Furthermore, blends were not consistently rated as more complex. A key finding was that the perception of complexity was strongly correlated with the ability to detect oak flavors (vanilla, spice, cinnamon). This suggests that perceived complexity isn’t necessarily about the number of compounds, but rather the presence of specific, recognizable aromas associated with oak aging.

Psychological Complexity: The Role of Time and Expertise

The second study focused on psychological complexity, specifically dynamic complexity – how flavors evolve over time. The speaker introduced the concepts of static complexity (flavors present at a single moment) and dynamic complexity (the changing flavor profile). To investigate this, Madeira wines of different ages (3, 10, and 20 years) were used, as aging is widely believed to increase complexity.

The study employed a unique methodology called “Temporal Check All That Apply” (t-CAT). Participants tasted the wine and continuously indicated which of eight flavor descriptors they perceived at each moment during a 30-second tasting period, including during the aftertaste. Black glasses were used to eliminate color as a cue for age. The study included both novice and expert tasters.

Results showed that novices showed a slight, non-significant trend towards rating older wines as more complex. However, experts consistently rated older wines as significantly more complex. The t-CAT data, visualized as evolving flavor trajectories, revealed that experts exhibited distinct flavor profiles for each age group, while novices’ perceptions were more similar across all wines. This demonstrates that experts are better able to perceive and articulate the dynamic changes in flavor over time.

Implications and Conclusion

The speaker concludes that complexity in wine is not solely a property of the wine itself, but is significantly shaped by the taster’s experience and attention to the evolving flavor profile. The study did not find evidence that too much complexity is detrimental in wine, unlike the findings in music perception. The final message encourages mindful tasting, urging individuals to slow down and appreciate the dynamic evolution of flavors when consuming food and beverages.

“Complexity is not just what’s in the glass, but also what’s in the mind of the drinker.” – Speaker’s concluding statement, emphasizing the subjective nature of complexity.

Technical Terms:

• Fortified Wine: Wine to which a distilled spirit (usually brandy) has been added.
• Grape Variety (Tintengra): The specific type of grape used to make the wine.
• Blind Tasting: A tasting where the identity of the wines is concealed from the taster.
• Descriptor: A specific flavor or aroma term used to describe a wine.
• Statistically Significant: A result that is unlikely to have occurred by chance.