Wine Taster Stimulates Tastebuds
Wine tasting has long been a sign, for some people, of their sophistication and skill in appreciating the finer things in life. Recognizing a particular grape or vintage, they may think, sets them apart from less discerning individuals and gives them a certain aura of superiority. Whether this is real or imagined is highly debatable. And just sometimes, the skill itself can be exaggerated. Possibly not for much longer, however, as scientists have come up with an electronic device that "can distinguish between grape varieties and vintages" according to a report in British newspaper, The Independent.
Although not quite ready for mass production, researchers are aiming to create a mechanical device that will be more reliable than the average human palate.
The story explains that the "e-tongue is based on an array of tiny synthetic membranes built onto a single silicon chip called a multisensor. Each membrane has a different sensitivity to the various chemical components that distinguish one grape variety from another and one wine vintage from the next."
At this stage, the e-tongue can apparently differentiate four grape varieties - Airén, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Macabeu - and samples of the same wine belonging to the vintage years 2004 and 2005.
Cecilia Jiménez-Jorquera, of the Barcelona Institute of Microelectronics, says that the e-tongue also has potential for "quantitative prediction of several sample parameters." The idea is that by extending the range of chemicals the e-tongue can distinguish, it will be able to identify substances or additives that could affect wine quality or indicate wine fraud.
Dr Jiménez-Joquera added that the principle imitates those of the human tongue's sensitivity to five different tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, acidic and umami (savoury). So far, the e-tongue has been tested on nine samples of grape juice from the 2005 vintage and six from 2004. Seven months later it was re-tested on wines made from the four grape varieties from the two vintages, according to a study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal The Analyst.
On a more serious note, machines are also being developed by no less an organization than NASA as well as others in the security industry to sniff out molecules from the air in order to improve explosive detection. But if wine aficionados are helped along the way, why would anyone complain?
Discussion Questions: How do you think the e-tongue technology would best be applied at retail? Is it likely to make consumers more discerning? If so, would that be a positive thing for wine sales?