Summary: 

Your brain —and all its sensory extensions in our eyes, nose and mouth— is your essential “tool” to perceive, remember and judge all the sensory components of wine. But do you really know how your wine-tasting “tool” works? Current advances in neuroscience are profoundly modifying our knowledge of the sensory and cognitive mechanisms of wine tasting and invite us to revisit the art of tasting.

Bridging the gap between oenology, psychology and neurophysiology, this “neuro-enological” lecture will present some recent insights into the diversity of our sensory receptors, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of our mental processes, and give some key elements to enhance our sense of taste. Join us for a wine journey into your brain!

Presenter: Gabriel Lepousez PhD

Gabriel Lepousez is a French neuroscientist and an international expert on sensory perception and brain plasticity. He received his doctorate in Neuroscience from the Paris Sorbonne University, and hold a research position at Institut Pasteur in the Perception and Memory Lab.

For more than fifteen years, Gabriel Lepousez has been exploring the function of brain circuits involved in sensory perception, memory and emotions, uncovering the key role of neuronal plasticity in olfactory learning and perception.

As a wine passionate, Gabriel also offers his scientific expertise to the world of wine education, sharing his extensive knowledge of the brain, this essential “tool” for wine tasting. In addition to international lectures and contribution to wine education programs, he has co-founded in 2016 L’Ecole du Nez, a neuro-sensory training for wine professionals to understand how the brain works during wine tasting and how to improve our sensory performance.

The Neuroscience of Wine Tasting with Gabriel Lepousez PhD is part of the Science of Wine Tasting Series, designed to help students of wine sharpen their tasting skills and master the latest scientific advancements in wine chemistry and sensory evaluation.