04 Nov 2009 Showcases ,

Sparkling dusty Kiwi? Wine Flavors Visualized

What is the relationship between wine varieties and flavor components? This visualization created by Carl Tashian attempts to visually classify wines based on these relationships.

Carl’s visualization is based on descriptive flavor words from over 5,000 published wine tasting notes written between 1995-2000 in a major Australian wine magazine. The words are categorized in four groups:

  • Flavor (like cherry, dirt, lime)
  • Aroma (like eucalypt, smokey or wood)
  • Characteristics (like clean, dusty or rich)
  • Sensation (like acid, sparkling or velvet)

cabarnet_sauvinion

A quick word from my personal perspective: As I love wine and really liked to engage with the visualization I was a bit underwhelmed by the sterile visualization. With a topic this delicate I think a designer can go one step further and create something that is easy to read but also engaging for the user. Wouldn’t a touch of cave amplify your exploratory spirit?

The project was developed for the “Visualizing the Five Senses” class at ITP @ NYU.
See all the wines in the Wine Flavor Visualization

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  • Mako

    Nice idea.

    Presume that this is a tasting of a specific wine and not a general definition of Cabernet Sauvignon as a variety, since I believe the Oak that you have shown as the most important Aroma is probably due to an excessive use of wood in aging and not linked to the grape itself.

    Mako Onfermann

    • http://www.artillery.ch/ Wiederkehr

      Agreed! I also think that a unique chart for a specific wine (vintage, region, etc.) would be needed to accurately describe a glass of wine.

  • Mako

    Nice idea.

    Presume that this is a tasting of a specific wine and not a general definition of Cabernet Sauvignon as a variety, since I believe the Oak that you have shown as the most important Aroma is probably due to an excessive use of wood in aging and not linked to the grape itself.

    Mako Onfermann

    • http://artillery.ch Benjamin Wiederkehr

      Agreed! I also think that a unique chart for a specific wine (vintage, region, etc.) would be needed to accurately describe a glass of wine.

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  • Madan

    To take this to the next level………the above picture should be split into two dials, which you can spin either way to suit your own tastes. Colors of the wine may also be added so people can recognize the different shades of wine. Based on your “settings” people may find wines that they have never tried before but would suit their tastes.

    Cool stuff! Kudos to the developers.

  • Madan

    To take this to the next level………the above picture should be split into two dials, which you can spin either way to suit your own tastes. Colors of the wine may also be added so people can recognize the different shades of wine. Based on your “settings” people may find wines that they have never tried before but would suit their tastes.

    Cool stuff! Kudos to the developers.