Can art express things that science can´t? Communicating experiences of wine attributes is one important part of the practical knowledge of professional wine tasters working in different contexts. A central question concerns how common terms and concepts emerge and how they are communicated in wine tasting situations. Adapting a pragmatic-constitutive perspective, investigating the dialogue while experiencing a contextual wine tasting situation stands as a core issue exploring concept formation in wine tasters practical skills. This study takes as a starting point such dialogues. Case studies were performed in different situations where skills were communicated. When grasping important gestalt aspects of the wine, it was concluded that analogies and metaphors are important tools if explored in dialogue with the occuring gestalt aspects. It was also concluded that the analogical thinking at stake in this delicate communicative act is crucial in educational purposes involving fine judgements. It is therefore suggested that an aesthetic perspective should have the same legitimacy as the analytical one, in expressing other important aspects of the experience. These gestalt aspects of the wine experience can not be fully caught within a traditional scientific perspective using analytical methods. It is suggested that a double grip is essential when improving learning conditions for wine professionals.
QC 20110308