February Heart Notes
At the heart of 'heart,' romanticism 101, a romantic Rome itinerary + aphrodisiacs to try at home + Cuverie wine bar, a true labor of love
Issue #5
Coming to you from a train ride back to Rome from Milan.
I went up for Esxence, an international expo of art perfumes. They offered me a press pass and I grabbed it.
I’ve always loved the crossover of wine and perfume appreciation. Excavating scent notes and identifying familiar accords feels like flexing my brain in the same way language learning does.
It’s stimulating and satisfying, and ultimately comforting, in the way certain wines smell, taste, and feel so familiar they transport us.
Speaking of language…
Cuore, Corazón, Coeur, Coração
Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese share a common “core.” Pun intended.
Heart is at the core of February’s newsletter, starting with a little linguistic unraveling. These four romance languages share the Latin root: cor, for ‘heart’.
We borrowed it for the English word ‘core,’ which, while not anatomically, still means heart or center.
‘Heart’ has Germanic roots, which while fascinating, are not (for our purposes) romantic. Feel free to take that tangent on your own time.
Heart Notes in Perfume
In perfumery, scents are constructed like stories.
Top notes grab your attention. Often bright citrusy bergamot or bombastic fragrant flowers like jasmine and orange blossom.
Base notes linger with you long after they fade. They are the takeaway, the finish. They’re often earthy, woody, and musky, elements that feel familiar and comforting on human skin.
The heart notes pulsate at the center.
Like our own beating hearts, they are the center. They keep things moving. They hold our olfactory gaze and keep us wanting more.
Heart notes are where the themes develop. Like universal themes, they often play on universal themes, like floral, woody, musky, amber, or gourmet. The variations on the classic shape the story.
Notes of Wine
In wine language we talk less about the composition of the nose, but rather its complexity.
Fine wines are categorized as such when all their multi-sensory elements are in balance. Read more about balance and harmony in last month’s issue.
Exceptional wines offer a full spectrum of aromas.
Aromatic complexity means you can clearly distinguishable notes of specific fruits, flowers, stones, herbs, animalic notes like leather and spot-on notes scents like cigar tobacco, ink, or black licorice.
For more on wine complexity, check out this video.
All I smell is wine
Don’t feel bad if this sounds like you. No one is born with a perfect sense of smell. We build it up our scent vocabulary over time. For more on how to train your nose according to the techniques I learned at sommelier school, start here.
That said, some wines are very one-note.
That’s exactly like it sounds. You can only identify one or two elements in the nose. Maybe it’s a vague citrusy smell, or a blurry berry-like quality.
Sometimes all you smell are grapes, or a wine-like smell.
There’s a word for that too: vinous, from the Latin: vinum (wine). It’s not a bad thing per se, but more characteristic of young wines whose more profound aromas have yet to develop. Sometimes they never do.
These simple, easy-to-drink table wines have their place…most often next to hearty, homemade and trattoria cuisine.
Speaking of trattorias….keep reading!
Romantic Rome: An Itinerary
I moved to Rome in 2001. Some things never change which is exactly why this city is the way it is (last paragraph!).
I combined the best of old and new, some secrets, and standbys in this romantic-themed Rome travel guide.
By “romantic,” I mean, sensual, dreamy, magical, with an emphasis on nature, and emotionally provocative.
Included are:
food, wine, and cocktails
parks, museums, sunset views
travel tips and tour ideas
Check it out here, and let me know if you what you think.
XOXO,
Annie
Meet Monica Garbini & Marco Tullio Botti: Cuverie Enoteca in Rome
For husband and wife team, Monica Garbini and Marco Tullio Botti, home is where the heart is. While they do share an official residence, you’ll just as likely find them at Enoteca Cuverie.
Read more about their story and get full rundown of the menu, wine list, and potential love matches taking place at my new favorite wine bar.
Real Life Love Potions
Part science, part suggestiveness. Get to the heart of makes an aphrodisiac.
This article explains the chemistry behind the chemistry, and includes two tried and true recipes, guaranteed to get your pulse racing and your juices flowing.