le 2 juin, paris -
I have seen Josh O'Connor twice now in 10 days.
At least once, there's no doubt, and whether or not it was him the first time, my knee buckled a little, I was so excited. But the second time, he and I made eye contact at the intersection and my heart was sped up like I was in a track race. I tried very, very hard to be chill, because I like to believe I am a person who can be chill.
But genuinely, it does not matter what handsome actor I saw, where he was, and why I was there also. I am just trying to convey as evocatively as I can, what it is like to encounter Bergamot.
A green citrus scent and fruit, often linked with limes visually, because of their joyful neon green color, is more aptly situated between oranges and lemons. Sweeter than grapefruits and more bitter than oranges, Bergamot is hits all the high notes.
Function
Somms are not satisfied with simply identifying flavors and aromas, they need to understand how these experiences are engineered, and why. Bergamot's bitter and sour notes help it cut through other sensory notes in a way that creates lift and tension when contrasted against other, sweeter notes. Because of this, it is associated with playfulness, relaxation, and stress reduction.
Scent History
While I've personally never concisely encountered Bergamot outside of a Bed Bath and Beyond, it was abundantly popular in 18th century France. At a time when perfumed face powders, powdered jewelry, and other scented items were incredibly popular in France's high society, bergamot boxes took advantage of the citrus fruits' highly fragrant peels to make keepsake pillboxes suitors would give them as presents to their sweeties. Bergamot remains associated with an elevated, if chaste, sensuality.
Want to give your cutie a token of affection? You can do the same thing with the peel of a tangerine or an essential oil fused paper maché.
Benefits of Bergamot Fruit
We know a wine with green citrus notes from Southern Italy doesn't contain bergamot fruit. So what do the health benefits of the fruit itself matter?
Aromas in wine mimic the same neural pathways as foods we can identify. Likewise, benefits from the fruit might also be stimulated from drinking the wine alone! Bergamot fruit is associated with anti-inflammatory benefits and increased dopamine and serotonin production. You might crave it in the summer heat.
However, much like grapefruit, Bergamot has some inhibiting characteristics that may have adverse interactions with medications. Your palate might try to warn you of this effect, by signaling to you that this note is unpleasantly bitter or untrustworthy.
I will always recommend that you trust your gut. Just keep in mind, it might a quality fault in the wine, or it might by a signal from your body that the flavonoid compound, or food the wine is emulating, is not what your body needs at that moment! Either way, life is too short to drink wine you don't enjoy.
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