Nose Job

The Portuguese company Amorim—the leading supplier of cork stoppers in the world—has just come up with what we hesitate to call an innovation: scratch and sniff closures (yeah, no kidding). Part of the company’s new “Top Series,” the scratch/sniffer is supposed to expand consumers’ sensory experiences.  The top of the closure is coated with a special varnish impregnated with micro capsules of a fragrance that is released when the surface is scratched.  A transparent film laid over the top prevents the surface from being scratched accidentally.  Ah, can we just smell the wine, please?