Cigars and wine - why don't they mix?

WINE TALK
1

Yeah, yeah. I know – it kills your palate. I’m a big cigar smoker (at least one a day), but drinking wine is a waste of time if I’ve had a stogie in the past three hours or so. After that, I’m usually at about 80% or so. If I’m planning on high-end or delicate wines, I avoid the cigar altogether. I suspect that I’d have to give it up for a couple of weeks to really recharge the taste buds.

But I’m curious if we have any ENT-types hanging around who can explain to me the science of why the cigars always create this problem. For me, it brings out the acidity in the wine and smothers most of the fruit.

2

“For me, it brings out the acidity in the wine and smothers most of the fruit.”

For a very large swath of what is acclaimed as “great wine” these days, that sound like a FEATURE, not a BUG.

[snort.gif]

3

Cigars and vintage ports are one of those great parings in my book.

4

Yeah - that’s the exception. I suspect it has something to do with the alcohol content, but I’m not sure. Again, why?

5

“Why can’t I taste this delicate wine after I’ve spread tar all over my taste buds and olfactory senses?” Lol is this a serious thread?

6

Jay,

The tar from cigar smoke coats or impedes your taste buds reception. The smoke from a cigar also interferes with your sense of smell somewhat. Wine is generally not the choice of accompaniment for a cigar. If you choose to pair them, go for high alcohol and/or high acid wines. Alcohol and acid help cleanse the palate.

I’m sure you’ve seen the movies of old where the “gentlemen” enjoy their cigar with a glass of Cognac, warmed or at least at room temperature. Again, the alcohol to rip the tar off the palate and in the case of heated Cognac/brandy, using the alcohol molecules released by the heat to strip the smoke/tar from the nose hairs and receptors to maintain a sense of smell.

High alcohol ports/wines work pretty good. Heavy, over extracted wines can work by saturation of the taste buds and just brute flavors, but they sometimes take away or subdue the flavors you enjoy in your cigar.

7

Jay, like matching wine with food you have to be sure to match the power of the cigar with the wine you are drinking. So it is best to stay away from any wine that can’t keep up with the impact of the cigar, and also adjust this based on the cigar you’re smoking. The are wines that can hold up to a cigar, like port, but also other intense wines such as run rig, priorat, etc should be ok. I don’t smoke cigars anymore but it can work sometimes in my experience. No idea about the science of it…

8

If you do cigars with Cognac, I would match mellower/finer blends of cigars with a VS, VSOP or Borderies style of Cognac. For more robust cigars, would do an XO, Fine, or Grand Champagne Cognac.

Priorat above mentioned sounds like a good idea. So would a Pedro Ximenez.


Disclosure: I sell Cognac.

9

Definitely kills the palate. I never drink good wine and smoke cigars. Exception, as above Maybe Port.

10

My thoughts exactly. Tomorrow, at the same place and time, we’ll be discussing why it hurts when you hold your hand over flame … sure, “because it burns”, but why does it hurt when your hand burns? Tune in.

11

My thoughts exactly. Tomorrow, at the same place and time, we’ll be discussing why it hurts when you hold your hand over flame … sure, “because it burns”, but why does it hurt when your hand burns? Tune in.

[rofl.gif]

That is not a wine related question so it won’t be in Wine Talk. Tongue on the open flame maybe? Or frozen to the fence post?

12

I don’t know why the OP is being made fun of.

There’s a ton of interesting research into taste and smell, and the research that’s out there certainly takes its conclusions a bit beyond “spreading tar all over your olfactory senses”.

I can’t summarize the science, but I know its inconclusive. I’ve read stuff about nerve degeneration, blood flow issues, taste bud shape and density, and this doesn’t even begin to address the neurochemical effects of nicotine.

I’d also be interested in an explanation, preferably one that doesn’t attribute the phenomena entirely to the “spreading of tar”.

13

Pound sand.

I understand that knowing everything makes you impatient with those who don’t. don’t be a hater.

14

A good portion of our sensory experience when drinking wine comes form the sense of smell even as it passes over our palate. Our olfactory sense is separate from the other 4 senses in that it reports to a different area of the brain. This is one reason why we have a keen memory from early on in life of how things smell and the recall is more easily accessed from memory. Smoking anything tends to change and alter this sense thus effecting our overall experience and perception. Not being a smoker, I can only relate that friends who smoke cigars seem to favor ports and find their experience is not as diminished when doing so.

15

You smoke > 1 cigar/day and drink EtOH regularly there are a lot of things I’d worry about more than trying to pair a wine with a Cubano.

16

You sound like my doc. What about the red meat and my slack approach to exercise?

17

I’d opt for AMI over Esophageal CA but that is just me.

18

Damn Glenn, you’re such a kill joy. Next thing you know you’ll be telling me I can’t have unprotected sex any longer. [thumbs-up.gif]

19

Not with hookers Joe.

20

Whew. Thought I was in trouble there for a minute. [snort.gif]