The Auswine Forum

This subject was brought up at the Thai dinner I attended during the last week. Several members at the table were commenting that as long as you continue to smoke throughout the night (rather than stopping and starting again), then their is no effect on the taster's palate or nose. I boldly objected, stating that the cigarette smoke and taste would surely taint the senses of the nose and the palate. However, I was then confronted with the fact that many of the world's best winemakers from France will smoke a couple packets a day (as the trend has always been).

As an interested non-smoker, what's fact and fiction for this situation?

I'm a non-smoker too (used to enjoy an occasional late night post-prandial cigar many years ago), but long observation of nicotine addicts indicates to me that they will say anything that justifies/rationalises their addiction, just like wine addicts or any other addicts. I know a few former smokers who admit their enjoyment of food and wine has increased significantly since they managed to quit the habit and I have one friend who has failed to quit smoking unfiltered Camel cigarettes, but he only drinks white wine, so that doesn't really count.

I don't have statistics on smoking by French or any other group of winemakers, but the prime example I know of an Australian winemaker who is/was a heavy smoker is John Glaetzer, the man behind many Wolf Blass reds and the John's Blend wines. Perhaps his heavy smoking has some influence on the fruit rich/oaky style of wines he prefers to make.

On the other hand, his twin brother Colin (who doesn't smoke as far as I know) is the man behind E&E Black Pepper reds and the Glaetzer wines, some of those are no shrinking violets in the fruit/oak department.

I couple of snippets on the topc from Huon Hook's superb biogrpahy "Max Schubert - Winemaker".

"A heavy smoker all his life, [up to three packets a day] Max was nevertheless a very good taster and his palate was in demand for shoiw judging."

"Judging is a skill that requires a highly sensitive nose. It seems that palate adjusts and compensates for smoking. But those winemalers who've given up smoking agree that the re-adjustment affected their tasting ability for some time".

In Max's early days judging at the Royal Sydney Show "All judges on a particular panel had to be either smokers or non-smokers. If there was a micture, their scores would not agree. The others encouraged him to smoke".

and also

"During the interviews for this book in 1991 to 1993 Max was suffereing from advanced emphysema. He was breathing oxygen from a cylinder all the time. There's little doubt that the smoking he became addicted to during the war was the undoing of Max's health."

As a reformed smoker I am happy to admit that it was the appreciation of wine that finally forced my hand.
I realised that I had spent far too much money on good wine to then ruin my palate by smoking.

The turning point was a night out in Perth when I ordered a pint of Stella Artois, got half way through and then went out for a cigarette. When I came back I was convinced that someone had replaced my beer with EB or something equally vile all the floral aromatics had gone and I was left with a half a pint of tasteless bitter alcohol. I never looked back.

I can only accept other people's annecdotal evidence that their smoking doesn't interfere with their wine, but it interfered with mine so I stopped.

I stopped smoking for years and then started again, well into my wine career. I only smoke when i drink which thankfully is mainly evenings. I never smoke when attending a professional tasting, however when i have tasted 150-200 wines, i have a cigarette break and it seriously refreshes my palate at a stage when it is fatigued. Of course i wash my hands, have water and bread before tasting again.
The only difference i have noted is that i pick up more phenolics in white wines than before. I still judge, and do blind tastings and am i think getting better all the time. I think there is a difference between being a 20-40 a day person than a 6-8 a day!!!
Again some of the best winemakers and tasters in Europe are heavy smokers??
Nothing conclusive other than smoking WHEN you are tasting is impossible and pisses off the other tasters!!

Noel

Its good to see tasting ettiquetten is international.

Nothing annoys a serious taster more than cigarette smoke (or perfume) or lipstick!

Cheers
Smithy

Indeed Smithy. Perfume is a real problem at most the tastings i attend, apart from the really serious judging, and is so off putting. Thankfully no-one smokes at these events other than outside. If anyone did they would be shamed instantly. Having said that at the London wine Trade Fair you can see the Italian and Spanish areas from way off as a smog of smoke hovers above them!!!