Pyrazines

February 2, 2018

More correctly known by their long name methoxypyrazines, pyrazines are the compounds in grapes that can cause a powerful green bell pepper aroma and flavor. Pyrazines (PEER-a-zeens) are especially prevalent in sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon. They can be greatly reduced by exposing grapes to more sunlight as they ripen. Unripe sauvignon blanc or cabernet can have pyrazine levels off the charts. Extreme pyrazine levels are generally considered a defect in a wine, although moderate pyrazines are a hallmark of some types of wine–New Zealand sauvignon blanc for example.

How fast are your tastebuds?

A. 13-15 milliseconds

B. 1-2 centiseconds

C. 1.5-4.0 millseconds

D. 30-35 milliseconds

C.

The human body can taste faster than it can see, touch, or hear. According to Dr. Hildegarde Heymann, Professor and Enologist in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis, taste perception is swift because the tongue and mouth (assisted by the nose) are the body’s primary defenses against poison. Here’s how fast perception occurs after initial stimulation, as measured in thousandths of a second, for our four main senses:

Taste: 1.5 – 4.0 milliseconds
Touch: 2.4 – 8.9 milliseconds
Vision: 13 – 45 milliseconds
Hearing: 13 – 22 milliseconds

Seriously????

To the list of all the things you can (but maybe shouldn’t) do while drinking, add this: ax-throwing. According to Tasting Table, two new ax-throwing places will open this year in Boston and ax-throwing bars… Continue reading

Pyrazines

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