A recent New York Times article goes into depth on a theory our very own John Jonna has long maintained: That smell can be strongly associated with a memory. The article explains:
Maria Larsson, an associate professor of psychology at Stockholm University, described the power of smell to serve as an almost magical time machine, with potential for treating dementia, depression, the grim fog of age. Johan Willander and others in her lab have sought to give firm empirical foundation to the old Proustian hypothesis, the idea that smells and aromas, like the famed taste of a madeleine dipped in tea, can help disinter the past.
Jonna has long made this connection between smell and memories as part of wine seminars he routinely gives.
Next time you’re tasting wine, be sure to stop and enjoy the aroma. Not only is smell an important part of the wine experience, you’ll have a smell to associate with the experience you’re having and the memories you’re creating now.