A smelling test discovery not to be sniffed at

Wine tasting can be an evening to forget if you’ve not got the nose for it.

But next time a so-called expert swills a dry white around his glass then takes a long sniff to tell you he’s getting the bouquet of oak and berries, treat him with a little contempt.

Wine tasting, it seems, really is pretentious, because nothing ever smells the same to different people.

Scientists have discovered there are almost a million variations on the 400 smell receptors in our nostrils.

A US-based research team cloned 500 receptors from 20 people and exposed them to molecules from different smells to see how they worked.

They found that minuscule genetic differences in amino acids can either flare receptors so you like a smell, or shut them down if it’s a scent you detest.

It’s a discovery that proves no odour smells the same to different people and explains why some of us love a good sniff of petrol, while others find the scent stomach churning.


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