Nobody Teaches Us to Smell: Two Hours of Aromas with Nick at Finca Adalgisa
I spent two hours with Nick and his collection of 88 aromas, and found myself thinking of the wild rocket of my childhood.
Nick is British and has lived in Mendoza for many years. He works with local wineries, helping them describe their wines and write tasting notes.
When he arrived at Finca Adalgisa with his collection, I admit I expected a guessing game.
It wasn’t.
How Nick Works
Nick guides you through aromas rather than simply asking you to guess.
Is it floral or fruity? If it’s fruit, is it white, red or citrus? Fresh or dried? Sweet, green or spicy?
Each question helps you get a little closer. He helps you find the words for something you could recognise but couldn’t quite name.
Wild Rocket
While we were talking about aromas, I thought of wild rocket.
When we were little, we used to find it growing in the fields. We didn’t even know what it was. It was bitter, and we didn’t eat it.
Years later, as an adult, every time I tasted rocket, I was back in those days in the countryside.
I suppose everyone has their own collection.
What We Are Never Taught
As children, we are taught colours. Red, green, blue. Then shapes, numbers, words, multiplication tables and dates.
Nobody teaches us to smell.
We do it all day, of course: coffee in the morning, rain on dry earth, a grapefruit cut open, the garden after watering. But we almost never stop to pay attention, and we have very few words for what we find.
Smelling is not just something we do instinctively. It’s also something we can learn to do better.
Two Hours, No Wine
No wine is served, and you need to know nothing about wine.
It’s two hours given to a sense we use every day and mostly ignore.
About 2 hours · In English · Maximum 4 guests · For Finca Adalgisa guests · Book at reception
