Unlocking the Secrets of Taste: Exploring the Science and Art of Flavor with Mandy Naglich

An interview with the author of “How To Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life."

Taste is one of our most important senses, yet the majority of people still don’t have the language to articulate exactly why they love or hate something.

In the past, tasting education was usually limited to restaurant and hospitality trade professionals, most often deferring to rigid French wine classifications to consider the more nuanced principles of how the natural environment or terroir (soil, topography and climate) impacts the expression of flavor within a final product, including how it looks, smells, tastes, and feels. 

However, thanks to the emergence of pedestrian-friendly craft beer education over the past two decades, widespread interest in food culture, and the more recent impact of olfactory loss from COVID, there’s been a renewed interest about our personal relationships with taste. And we now have the ultimate handbook to understanding the science and art behind flavor. 

Buy on Amazon

Joining the podcast today is New York-based Advanced Cicerone, Certified Taster, and journalist ⁠Mandy Naglich⁠, whose latest book “⁠How To Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life⁠,” was released just last month. 

Teaching both consumers and professionals about flavor and service across the beverage alcohol category, her wildly popular tasting classes frequently sell out around the city and virtually. Her work has been featured in Vice, Taste of Home, VinePair, and Wine Enthusiast, and has generated a considerable following on her blog, ⁠Drinks With Mandy⁠, where she breaks down complex topics about taste into digestible morsels of content.

@drinkswmandyDon’t fear the B A R N Y A R D funk 🐄🌾👩‍🌾 At first, I had a hard time describing a slight–at the time I called it–stink on some beers, especially wild and sour ones. I knew stink was the wrong word, because I enjoyed it. It added depth to the aroma, the same way that delicate rotten notes makes the smell of gardenia intoxicating. I learned that the pros called this animal complexity “funky” so I stuck with that description for a while. It a wine tasting in California that finally helped me connect the scent with my words. The Somm said, “A little bit of animal, some damp wool or hay, you’ll find that in rustic Bordeaux. But once it becomes chicken droppings or wet dirty dog, then that’s a problem!” That precarious balance aligns perfectly with the science of fermentation behind these flavors. Wild yeast, Brettanomyces, creates the array of barnyard in your glass. When other yeasts are responsible for the bulk of fermentation the Brettanomyces (Brett) contributes just a few subtle notes to the overall flavor profile. But when it has a chance to run wild that’s when you get a glass full of the worst of the barnyard. 💩 The rise of natural wines means more wild yeast making it into the market, and more wine drinkers learning to love barnyard flavors. Fans of the Trappist beer Orval have been loving the sweaty horse blanket twang of Brett for years, long before (some) winemakers decided a little funk was alright! 🍷🍺 Have you ever heard someone describe a drink as tasting like barnyard? Did you think that was a good or a bad thing? If you’re interested in tasting some fun and funky beer yourself join me in Portland, Maine at @allagashbrewing on July 14! We’re talking my new book How to Taste and trying some of the brews in their barrel cellar. Info at the liink in bio 📚 #winetasting #beertasting #cicerone #fermentation #brettanomyces #wset

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Today, she shares the story behind her unconventional job, a look at some of the unexpected research that landed in her book (mustard in brownies?!), and how taste can create daily opportunities for joy in the every day.

Listen, like and share the episode. Follow Mandy on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠YouTube⁠. And make sure to follow ⁠The Weed Witch⁠ for all of the latest and greatest.