Sense of Smell

I swimming does affect our sense of smell. I think chlorine deadens our smelling organs. I'm not a very sensitive smeller. I believe my wife, a non swimmer, has a much better sense of smell than I do. I think the ability to detect subtle fragrances in wines falls in the "Wine Snob" category. Like that guy in the movie "Sideways" You'll see the language on the bottle or on the web like www.badgermtnvineyard.com/bmvwine.htm I wonder if they can really smell it or did they just read it somewhere? I think those kind of descriptions help vinters sell their wines and justify their prices. I am not a good aroma detector but I do appreciate a nice cabernet or Pinot. by the way I loved the dialog from this scene from "Sideways" Memorable Quotes from Sideways (2004) Miles Raymond: What about you? Maya: What about me? Miles Raymond: I don't know. Why are you into wine? Maya: Oh I... I think I... I originally got in to wine through my ex-husband. Miles Raymond: Ah. Maya: You know, he had this big, sort of show-off cellar, you know. Miles Raymond: Right. Maya: But then I discovered that I had a really sharp palate. Miles Raymond: Uh-huh. Maya: And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about. Miles Raymond: Like what? Maya: Like what a fraud he was. Maya: No, I- I like to think about the life of wine. Miles Raymond: Yeah. Maya: How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline. Miles Raymond: Hmm. you can read more at: www.imdb.com/.../quotes ande Originally posted by Glenn Does swimming effect your sense of smell? My wife and I recently had a lovely dinner with a person very knowledgable about wines. We are both wine lovers and appreciated his wonderful "wine lesson". However, when he got into the description of the wines in terms of berrys and oak and leather etc I had to stop him and say that I can sometimes detect a raisin taste or maybe even a blackberry taste but I have never been able to get any of those other subtle tastes that the wine experts use to describe wines. So he asked me if I had sinus problems or something else that might effect my sense of smell. Well, the only thing I could think of was chlorine. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wether 30 plus years of swimming and breathing that wonderful chlorine smell could have ruined or at least altered my sense of smell? If so I may go to exclusively drinking 2 Buck Chuck!!! Glenn:)

I swimming does affect our sense of smell. I think chlorine deadens our smelling organs. I'm not a very sensitive smeller. I believe my wife, a non swimmer, has a much better sense of smell than I do. I think the ability to detect subtle fragrances in wines falls in the "Wine Snob" category. Like that guy in the movie "Sideways" You'll see the language on the bottle or on the web like www.badgermtnvineyard.com/bmvwine.htm I wonder if they can really smell it or did they just read it somewhere? I think those kind of descriptions help vinters sell their wines and justify their prices. I am not a good aroma detector but I do appreciate a nice cabernet or Pinot. by the way I loved the dialog from this scene from "Sideways" Memorable Quotes from Sideways (2004) Miles Raymond: What about you? Maya: What about me? Miles Raymond: I don't know. Why are you into wine? Maya: Oh I... I think I... I originally got in to wine through my ex-husband. Miles Raymond: Ah. Maya: You know, he had this big, sort of show-off cellar, you know. Miles Raymond: Right. Maya: But then I discovered that I had a really sharp palate. Miles Raymond: Uh-huh. Maya: And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about. Miles Raymond: Like what? Maya: Like what a fraud he was. Maya: No, I- I like to think about the life of wine. Miles Raymond: Yeah. Maya: How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline. Miles Raymond: Hmm. you can read more at: www.imdb.com/.../quotes ande Originally posted by Glenn Does swimming effect your sense of smell? My wife and I recently had a lovely dinner with a person very knowledgable about wines. We are both wine lovers and appreciated his wonderful "wine lesson". However, when he got into the description of the wines in terms of berrys and oak and leather etc I had to stop him and say that I can sometimes detect a raisin taste or maybe even a blackberry taste but I have never been able to get any of those other subtle tastes that the wine experts use to describe wines. So he asked me if I had sinus problems or something else that might effect my sense of smell. Well, the only thing I could think of was chlorine. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on wether 30 plus years of swimming and breathing that wonderful chlorine smell could have ruined or at least altered my sense of smell? If so I may go to exclusively drinking 2 Buck Chuck!!! Glenn:)