Euphoria & Wine

Umami foodstuffs creates an entirely new experience—it might teleport you to the next dimension. Unami, first discovered by a group of scientists at the University of Tokyo in the last 1960’s, is considered to be the fifth taste. Capsaicin (spice) could be argued to be the sixth, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves…


Traditionally there are four tastes: Salty, sweet, bitter, and sour (acidity). Everyone’s palate is different, but generally salty and sweet is perceived on the front of the tongue, bitterness in the back, and sour (acidity) on the sides. Saltiness is prevalent in wines that are produced in vineyards close to the ocean and salty sea air like the Sherry wines produced in the village of Jerez in the south of Spain. Sweetness is a result of high residual sugar levels prevalent in many dessert wines. Bitterness is ubiquitous with tannins in grape skins. Acidity is particularly perceived in high acid varietals like sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.

Umami gets a bad rap sometimes due to MSG, but foodstuffs naturally high in glutamates bring higher levels of umami. Soy sauce, fermented fish and cured salty meats are just to name a few.

From a basic wine perspective, umami is created by the combination of acid and salt and is further accentuated by the alcohol in the wine. High acid wines make salty umami foodstuffs pop. (Simplistically put, it has to do with the tongue’s receptors perceiving glutamate) Sommeliers love high acid wines and well seasoned food. Umami delivers a euphoric like quality to the food and wine experience.

Watch This...
http://www.heavy.com/comedy/comedy-videos/the-simpsons/2010/12/the-simpsons-antacid-trip/