Fragrance and Wine

Domaine Carneros is a Napa Valley winery that we have written about before, May 10, 2010 when Wine Specialist and CaFleureBon reader Hernando Courtright attended a sniff and sip press event in New York City courtesy of Jo Malone and Domaine Carneros.  Beginning July 2014, wine and fragrance expert Mary Orlin, who is a Certified Sommelier and Perfumer Sarah Horowitz Thran will guide newbies and oenophiles alike through the complex world of wine and scent through a tasting of Domaine Carneros wines. Each wine will be paired with fragrant essences curated by Sarah Horowitz Thran of Sarah Horowitz Parfums and highlights a different aromatic note in the particular wine. The scented world is a small one, and some of our East Coast readers have met Mary Orlin (who is a guest contributor for the Huffington Post) and Sarah Horowitz-Thran at Sniffapalooza or at The Elements Showcase.  But it was on the West Coast, that Mary met Sarah, at the 1st Artisan Fragrance Salon in San Francisco July 8, 2012 and their olfactive relationship began.

Mary Olin of Winefashionista.com

“Wine and perfume are both olfactory experiences.  Without our sense of smell, we probably wouldn’t enjoy wine – or wax so poetic about it.  Both evolve once out of the bottle.  Wine changes over time in the glass, and perfume changes on the skin over time.  Both are meant to be enjoyed over a period of time. Wine and perfume share a similar language.  They have a top note — the bouquet in a wine and the top note in the perfume – the first thing you smell when you swirl that wine or spritz the perfume on your skin.  Both have a middle note. Then both have a finish, or a base note that lingers the longest.  Light, fresh, green scents are beautiful paired with light bodied wines such as Vinho Verde, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Medium bodied wines like Pinot Noir go with softer, fruity and spicy scents.  Full bodies wines, such as Viognier go with heady white florals; Syrahs go with rich Oriental fragrances”, explains Mary Orlin.

Photo: Domaine Carneros in Napa Valley

The Making Scents of Wine experience requires advanced booking and will be held on the following weekend days  at the Domaine Carneros Winery, (located at 1240 Duhig Road in Napa California, 707-257-0101) from 10am – 12pm: July 20, October 12, January 25 and May 9 (2015). Prices are $125 per person for non- wine club members and $110 per person for wine club members.

Source: Mary Orlin, Executive Producer of WineFashionista.com

–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief