Buffalo Rising Online

Apr 11th, 10:41am By Christa Glennie Seychew

The established and well-respected Lodi International Wine Awards have taken a decade-old scientific study under advisement and are changing the way in which they judge and ultimately award wines. Drs. Michael O’Mahony and Rie Ishi, UC Davis and Tim Hanni, MW have developed a theory (based on initial studies by taste pioneer, Dr. Linda Bartoshuk) in which they pose the idea that the types of wine a person enjoys can be determined by two factors, one of which is genetic.

A test in which a taster's tongue is painted with blue food coloring and examined with a magnifying glass, revealing the number of fungiform papillae (or small mushroom shaped forms on the tongue that contain micro taste buds), is a newly established requirement for Lodi judges. And if you find yourself confused or befuddled by the wine world, this study and its findings may be the key to helping you discover the types of wine that best suit your predilection.

See, all tongues are not created equal—or at least with an equal number of taste buds. This factoring of a person's taste bud count is being called “sensory discrimination”.

The more taste buds a person has, the more likely they are to be a highly-sensitive or a “Super Taster”, wherein deep wines with a high alcohol content and a big, oak or tannin-heavy flavor profile leave the mouth feeling as though it were aflame.

“Tolerant Tasters”, or those with the least number of taste buds, are those that can appreciate the intensity of such wines.

“Sensitive Tasters” fall somewhere in the middle.

Perhaps most misunderstood and maligned by the wine connoisseurs of the world are those whose taste buds land them in the “Sweet Taster” portion of the sensory discrimination chart. If you are one of these people, than your wine-drinking friends have probably been trying to get you to drink wine your whole life, and you have probably repeatedly told them how much you dislike it only to have them force it on you anyway. Your palate is not happy about most wines; they are all acid and alcohol to your delicate tongue. But fear not, there are wines out there for you, you simply need to know what you like and not let anyone push you into buying anything else. But we'll get to that in a minute.

Now, this is where the second, non-genetic factor comes in. People (even super tasters) can, of course, develop an appreciation for those big and bold wines if they so chose. This aspect of a taster's preferences is being referred to as “aspiration”. And environmental factors are an issue here as well, meaning a hypersensitive taster, or someone with a lot of taste buds, who would under most circumstances shy away from overly salty or spicy foods, may be raised in a culture where spicy food is the norm and their appreciation for such a thing would be certainly be influenced by that.

The scientists behind this taste study have developed an online quiz that, with a few simple questions, can help those without much wine knowledge discover what portion of the tasting chart they most likely fall under. If you're a wine drinker with an established palate, a quiz for you is in development, but in the interim you can follow these instructions, and with a little blue food coloring, sort yourself out as well.

The key here is to realize that many of the ratings currently used in the wine industry (Wine Spectator, Parker) are geared toward tolerant tasters. Lodi's attention to this study and its results have changed the process with which they will judge this year's wines. If this concept proliferates wine culture, perhaps we will soon see wines marketed to people based on where they fall on the tasting scoreboard.

We thought we'd go to Carl Schmitter of Chateau Buffalo for a little local guidance. I was curious to find out which New York State wines would please each of the tasters: sweet, hyper-sensitive, sensitive and tolerant. Our region is skilled at producing sweet wines, but are there offerings suited to each of the “taster” profiles? Carl selected a handful of wines that he felt would appeal to each category on the sensory discrimination chart and we've noted them below. If you have any questions, stop into Chateau Buffalo where they'd be happy to see you (and let you taste some wine!).


Tolerant Taster

Lamoreaux Landing Gewürztraminer, a wine with big flavor that is enhanced by the high alcohol content. ($18.99)

Ravines 2005 Chardonnay, a very oaky Chard. The winery reduces the water content of the fruit by drying it before production, resulting in very concentrated flavors. ($17.99)

Long Point Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, an intense wine with a lot of tannins backed by a high alcohol content. ($22.99)


Sensitive Taster

Atwater Estate 2006 Dry Riesling, what is revealed on the palate can first be discerned through the aromatic characteristics of this wine which also finishes with nice minerals. ($14.99)

Ravines 2006 Dry Pinot Rose, made with the grape most typically used in making champagne and sparkling wine, this Pinot Rose has ample acidity and good flavor; a great wine for food. ($14.99)

Shaw Vineyards 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, compared to a California Cab, this New York Cabernet is more subtle, lower in alcohol content and boasts nicely polished flavors. ($19.99)

Casa Larga Limited Release Oak Reserve Meritage is a beautiful blend of Merlot (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Cabernet Franc (30%). In this wine, each grape complements and builds on the other. Some of NY's best wines are blends and this one is a delicious fruit forward selection. ($20.99)


Highly-Sensitive Super Tasters

Cayuga Ridge Estate Chardonnay, aged in stainless steel barrels, the oaky flavor associated with many Chardonnays is not evident. It's an excellent sweet, fruit driven Chardonnay sure to please the palate of any Super Taster. ($13.99)

Fox Run Vineyards 2006 Riesling, a semi-dry Riesling with a beautiful, soft flavor profile. It's not too sweet or too dry and pairs well with food. ($13.99)

Keuka Spring 2006 Lemberger, made with an Austrian and German vinifera grape grown in the Finger Lakes, this wine is very successful with good red berry flavors that pair well with grilled foods. ($16.99)

Bedell Cellars 2006 Merlot, a soft tasting Long Island wine with a multi-layered flavor profile and low levels of tannin. ($19.99)


Sweet Tasters

Dancing Buffalo Cidre Perry Piroutte is a pear cidre made in the tradition of Perry, a very popular drink in the British Isles where the weather does not permit the growth of grapes. The flavors of this cidre are very light and sweet and there's no discernible bitterness. It is refreshing, low in alcohol and best served with cheese and crackers. ($10.99)

Herman J. Wiemer 2006 Semi-Dry Riesling, ideal if you are looking for elegance in a wine. Sweet but loaded with complexity and depth. ($17.99)

Swedish Hill Vineyards Spumante Blush, one of the many lovely sparkling wines produced in NYS. Made with a grape native to the U.S., this wine is full of nice, fresh fruit flavors like strawberries and cherries. ($9.99)

Johnson Estate 2006 Ives, a deep, sweet wine made from a grape native to New York. Very fruity, a great social wine. ($8.00)


Current studies are being done to determine what effect race or ethnic background may have on a person's taste bud count. Early studies show that there is a difference between genders; 35% of women tend to be super tasters, while only 15% of men fall into that category. If you have a young, picky eater at home that you've plied with vegetables in every form imaginable, chances are he or she's a super taster too.

And, while we're talking about tongues and taste, if some overpriced glass maker or other wine snob in your life is still trying to pawn off that outdated tongue map on you, welcome them to the 21st century by having them read here, here, or here.

Stay tuned to BR for more information about the exciting events Chateau Buffalo has in store.


Chateau Buffalo
1209 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo 14216
716.873.0074