Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: We can explain the different tastes of two wines by the differences in their compounds.However, we cannot explain what a wine tastes like solely in terms of its chemical compounds.The same active compounds can affect individual tasters quite differently because of differences in their thresholds of perception.Moreover, the effects of different compounds on our senses can give rise to cross-modal interactions where sensations of, say, sweetness, can be enhanced by a vanilla aroma without a corresponding increase in the wine's sugar levels.This makes it difficult to relate the micro-chemical composition of a wine to the perception of its tastes or flavours.However, we can achieve a better understanding of the relation between a wine's compounds and its taste profile once we recognize the dynamic and cross-modal nature of taste perception.The full story of the impact of certain compounds on tasters will have to take account of the cross-modal influence one sense has on another.I will illustrate the sort of account that is needed by reference to recent findings in perceptual psychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Author: Christopher T. Barry
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2186127886