The Bordeaux Institute of Science of the Vine and Wine – IVV

Winter is notoriously boring in Bordeaux - so what does one do on the long lonely winter nights? THE DUAD

The Bordeaux University Oenology faculty runs very high-powered, academic courses in both the production and appreciation of wine. So high powered it is, the pass rate is sometimes not even 50%.  This year is our year to participate in this illustrious and infinately famous program.  As most Bordeaux children of famous winery owners do, we have picked up our school bags and hit the chalk board. But what is it all about?

It is an exploration into how our bodies work for starters. We learn first and foremost about our senses:   how the nose works, our sense of smell, our sense of taste and our taste buds.  We have studied colors and  the effect of light, the effect of pollution be it noise or air, how it influences the way we taste, the environement in which we taste, the importance of the glass, the temperature and even our own health and the role it can play in our perception of taste and smell. That was just the first few weeks.

Following the biology lessons came the history of Bordeaux and the evolution of the vine in the world and its importance in our daily lives, commerce, religion and politics.  Then we started with the vineyard, grafting, grape maturity and soil.   Our early lessons concentrated also on the four or is it five tastes: acidity, sweetness, bitterness and saltyness. Did you know there was a fifth? Umami discovered in Japan, its the taste of soy sauce, not exactly salty, not exactly sweet…

We spend most of our tasting sessions sniffing molecules responsable for the smells in wine.  Linalol – rose, geraniol – geranium, citronellol – lemon, Whiskeylactone – coconut, IBMP – green pepper, etc.  We also get to taste wine from time to time. But more about that later.