Neuroenology: How the Brain Creates the Taste of Wine - Hardcover

Neuroenology: How the Brain Creates the Taste of Wine

Gordon M. Shepherd, professor of neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, presents the first book on wine tasting written by a neuroscientist. Building on his groundbreaking work in Neurogastronomy, Shepherd reveals that creating the taste of wine engages more of the brain than any other human behavior.

Scientific Approach to Wine Tasting

This book combines findings from neuroscience, biomechanics, human physiology, and traditional enology to explain wine's sensory experience. Shepherd demonstrates the startling discovery that the brain, not the tongue, creates wine taste through complex neurological processes.

Understanding Retronasal Smell

The book begins with the movements of wine through the mouth, then explains the function of retronasal smell and its extraordinary power in creating wine taste. Shepherd comprehensively details how specific sensory pathways in the cerebral cortex create wine memory and how language identifies and imprints wine characteristics.

From Amateur to Sommelier

Written for a broad audience—from amateur wine drinkers to sommeliers, casual foodies to seasoned chefs—Neuroenology demonstrates how the emotion of pleasure serves as the final judge of the wine experience. The book includes practical tips for scientifically informed wine tasting.

Classic Bordeaux Experience

The book closes with Shepherd's account of tasting classic Bordeaux vintages with French winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet of Chateau Petrus and Dominus Estate, offering readers insight into professional wine evaluation through a neuroscientific lens.