Comments on: Tasting Terms: Pear Drop

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:38:02 +0000

Love this post! Please do some more steve…I never knew what was meant by “pear drops” in the wine manuals, and have had it described to me in so many ways, this is the first time I've heard the truth apparently. What other smells/flavors are too culturally specific to warrant use in a global context?

By: Steve De Long

Steve De Long — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:51:48 +0000

Hi Erica and Chris -

Thanks for the comments – gooseberry and blackcurrant (cassis) are related and confusing terms. In the Nez du Vin (the bunch of crazy expensive aroma vials) blackcurrant bud is the same as gooseberry.

I wrote an article last month (that’s still waiting for editorial approval) about blackcurrant. The big reason most Americans aren’t familiar with it is that it was illegal to grow until recently!

By: Chris Simmons

Chris Simmons — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:48:38 +0000

Cassis is another cultural term, and a double whammy to us in America! Its the French name for the black currant, a fruit as Steve pointed out being known to very few Americans. Often times a gourmet store will sell a black currant jam, but if you check the label they are often combined with grapes or grape flavoring, further confusing the American palate! At my wine shop I tell people who want to know what blackcurrants and cassis taste like to try a Cabernet from Diamond Mountain in Napa or any Bordeaux from Pauillic.

By: Erica

Erica — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:31:17 +0000

Boiled sweets? Ugh! So glad I speak American.

To follow up on what Steve said — gooseberry is another flavor that Americans are unaware of. I didn’t grasp the flavor profile until after I bought a jar of gooseberry jam at Ikea a few years ago.

By: Steve De Long

Steve De Long — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Hi Rodolphe, – I agree about the Pinotage. It seems like there is a lot more fruity carbonically macerated Pinotage than the old school ashtray and elephant skin Pinotage that I happen to like. The “red nose day” red wine (a charity promotion here in the UK) this year was a Pinotage that was a dead ringer for Beaujolais Nouveau.

Thanks, Ryan – I think “blackcurrant” is another term that people in the UK understand much better than Americans. British children grow up drinking Ribena and eating blackcurrant flavored (flavoured) wine gums. It’s a classic descriptor for Cab. Sauv, and in particular “Claret” – Red Bordeaux which most British adults end up drinking a lot of.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:04:30 +0000

Love this post! Please do some more steve…I never knew what was meant by “pear drops” in the wine manuals, and have had it described to me in so many ways, this is the first time I’ve heard the truth apparently. What other smells/flavors are too culturally specific to warrant use in a global context?

By: Rodolphe Boulanger

Rodolphe Boulanger — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:34:43 +0000

Oddly enough the same volatile compound, isoamyl acetate, pops up a lot in Pinotage.
It’s been described as banana oil, wet paint, and nail polish remover.

Personally, I also get this banana-esque flavor when tasting the Falanghina wines of southern Italy.