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Smell - by J.C.

Human nose is considered as the most sensitive detector that exists. The olfactory epithelium owns several hundred kind of receptors, related to the brain by many millions of nerve fibers. The signals that these nerves send to brain, go to the so called olfactory bulb, where first reading of the message is made. The olfactory bulb is found in one of the oldest human brain sectors, the one where affections and sentiments are allocated. That is to say: olfactory information, on the contrary to the visual and auditory counterpart, go first to an emotional area of brain, and then to that rational and reflective. That is why a big emotive effect is developed by some aromas in some human beings.

Emotions, in the other hand, are always related to special moments in life, which are carefully stored in memory. In some occasions those moments occur meanwhile a certain and specific smell is present, which, when perceived again, and some times this happens after a considerable amount of time, make us to remember those lived experiences. In the book “Bacchus & Me” written by novelist Jay Mclnerney, we can find a good illustration of aroma reminding. There it is narrated how the author recognized that a friend of him were referring to the French wine “Condriue,” made from Viognier grape, when that friend told him that “it was that one that smelled like the garden of the Hôtel du Cap.” In the same matter, it is worthwhile to remember what mister J. Schlienger (a well known musk buyer) said, in the sense that he had never appreciated a smell by itself, but for what it made him to remember.

Sense of smell, in an average people is able to distinguish several thousands different scents. A matter can be smelled if it is able to offer volatile molecules to the nose. This possibility is possessed by almost any matter, and can be more or less intense depending on its properties and the physical conditions to which it is submitted. Perfumes, for instance, are specifically created in order to present to the nose enough volatile molecules, in a considerable stable manner. The scent of a perfume must not change in a significant mode, when, within a reasonable range, it is submitted to physical conditions variations.

Sense of smell is almost always assisted by that of sight. Usually we smell an apple, an orange, a perfume, gasoline, etc. while looking them or something that evokes them in a direct manner. That is the reason why, normally, there is only an indirect connection, in memory, between an aroma and the object which produces it. For most of the people it is not an easy task to identify many of the matters causing smells, if these are perceived blindly; meanwhile, if smelling is made while looking to the fragrant matter, they find matter and smell very normally attached, at least in most of the cases.

It is not a secret that for most of us it is not a simple matter to recognize the various aromas present in wines, perfumes, foods, etc. Those who are dedicated to taste wine, or pertain to the world of perfumery, have had a very strong training in order to get an educated nose, able of identify a great number of fragrances, aromas or smells in general. In the same mean, if you want to enjoy more properly, a good wine, an elaborated meal or a fine perfume, you had better develop, at least in a way, your capacity to recognize smells. Practicing blind smelling is the only known method to get this objective.