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References to wine in The Bible—the King James version that is. Wine is an element of the Judeo-Christian concept of the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, during Mass when wine is offered as representing the blood of Christ, or the presence of Jesus on Earth, so the symbolism of wine is that of a joyful drink. Holy Communion is a re-enactment of the Last Supper, an event commemorated every Easter when Christians celebrate the end of Lent, a traditional time for fasting or giving something up.

Sensory researchers recently isolated the aromatic compounds that distinguish soft baked pretzels from regular bread. Among the compounds that give soft pretzels their compelling aroma were compounds that smell like:

A. Tea and baked apples

B. Vanilla and mocha

C. Sweat and butter

D. Animal fur and damp earth

In a study recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry—the whiffs of sweat and butter were among the distinguishing aromas that make soft baked pretzels so crave-inducing. According to Atlas Obscura, the researchers determined that the signature smell of pretzels comes from the brown outer crust (not the inside of the pretzel). They then peeled soft pretzel skins, crushed them to a fine powder, and created an extract from the ground pretzels. Using a process called aroma extract dilution analysis, they identified specific odorous compounds in the extract. These included aromas that were sweaty, buttery, malty, mushroom-like, carrot-like, cooked potato-like, caramel-like and cheesy. People laugh when I tell them that pinot noir has the wonderful smell of a sweaty man who just ran one mile. But sweatiness can be attractive. Now I can’t wait to try pretzels with pinot noir.

Fifty Feet and a Gazillion Seeds

Lodi, the self-proclaimed Zinfandel Capital of the World (it produces over 32% of California zin), is also home to 100 different grape varieties, more than any other California region. These include: albariño, tempranillo, verdelho, sangiovese,… Continue reading

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