To Örebro University

Att dekantera vin är en av vinvärldens mest etablerade ritualer.För många vinälskare, sommelierer och restauranggäster är det närmast självklart att ett vin ”öppnar sig” när det får luft.

Jag har provat mycket öl i mitt liv. Som sommelier, forskare och lärare har jag stått i provningsrum, undervisningssalar och restauranger där öl serverats som hantverk, njutning och kultur. Under lång tid var alkoholen självklar, nästan osynlig. Men de senaste åren har något hänt. Inte bara i hur vi dricker, utan i hur vi talar om smak, ansvar och gastronomisk kvalitet.

Alcohol consumption is a burden to public health but little is known about the sensory performance of non-alcoholic drinks in the context of food and beverage pairings. This study investigated consumer liking and perception of taste balance of three beers (a pilsner, a wheat beer, and an IPA) in their alcoholic (AL) and non-alcoholic (NA) versions. All six beers were evaluated both alone and paired with skagenröra, a traditional Swedish shrimp salad. The results show that while the NA versions of the three beers were less liked when tasted alone, there was no significant difference in how they performed when paired with food, highlighting the potential of NA beers to promote healthier and more inclusive dining experiences. They also revealed a significant effect of gender in the liking of the pairing, with female participants liking the combinations less than male participants, although there was no gender difference in liking when the beers tasted alone. These findings contribute to the scientific literature on food pairing and have practical implications for the gastronomic and brewing industries, particularly for sommeliers interested in healthier pairing experiences.

This paper examines professional wine decanting as an embodied and performative practice of aesthetic judgement and cultural mediation. Drawing on practice theory and aesthetic sociology, and informed by Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural capital, the study explores how sommeliers enact taste through choreographed movement, temporal pacing, and interaction with the guest. Empirically, the analysis is based on a live craft performance of uncorking and decanting staged as a dialogue between two trained sommeliers. Methodologically, the study applies a triangulated approach combining performative craft inquiry, time-geographical mapping, and dialogic co-reflection to capture how judgement unfolds across space and time. A hybrid content analysis of meaning-bearing units identifies four interwoven dimensions of professional expertise: cognitive planning, situational adjustment, embodied aesthetic practice, and cultural framing. The findings show how technical actions such as opening, pouring, and sediment control function simultaneously as practical interventions and symbolic gestures that shape atmosphere, guest trust, and perceived quality. By conceptualising decanting as a choreographed and embodied form of judgement, the study contributes a transferable framework for analysing service-based craft as knowledge-in-action and advances understanding of sommellerie as an aesthetic and culturally mediated professional practice.

Food and beverage pairings are increasingly explored through sensory science to understand how combinations of high-quality products shape the overall perception. This study investigated how the sequence of intake and mode of combination (sequential tasting and simultaneous mixing) influence the sensory perception of two Swedish white wines (still and sparkling) paired with two premium black caviars produced through warm and cold stabilization. Sixteen combinations were evaluated by a trained analytical sensory panel using quantitative descriptive analysis. Significant sensory differences were observed across combinations, primarily driven by intake order rather than caviar type. When caviar preceded wine, assessors perceived higher intensities of fruity flavours, sourness, tingliness, and mouth dryness. Conversely, combinations beginning with wine accentuated earthy and salty attributes. Mixed wine-caviar samples produced intermediate sensory profiles, with an emergent liquorice attribute that increased with mixing time, particularly in combinations including cold-stabilised Pearl caviar. Principal component analysis for both wine types revealed distinct clustering based on sequence and mixing method, with sparkling wine generating more pronounced differences between the two caviars, likely due to its higher acidity and tactile effect. Correlation of data further demonstrated two stable groups of sensory attributes reflecting contrasting perceptual pathways shaped by intake order. Overall, the findings highlight the critical role of temporal dynamics and multisensory interactions in shaping wine-caviar pairings and underscore the potential of Swedish wines and caviars to create distinctive culinary experiences. Future research should explore multisensory extensions, including visual and auditory cues, to deepen understanding of complex flavour combinations.

Midsommar förknippas för många med sill, färskpotatis och ett glas iskal l snaps. Själv är jag verkligen en förespråkare för tradition, samtidigt som jag gillar gastronomisk utveckling. Så vad händer om vi byter ut det traditionsenliga mot något oväntat, som till exempel svenskt vin och svensk kaviar?

This narrative review explores the sommelier's role in contemporary gastronomy, focusing on how sensory training, aesthetic judgment, and interactive performance shape their expertise in high-end restaurant settings. Drawing on literature from gastronomy, cultural sociology, practice theory, and sensory science, this paper explores the sommelier's craft through three analytical lenses: embodied knowledge, aesthetic labour, and cultural mediation. I argue that sommeliers operate as cultural intermediaries who translate sensory knowledge into taste experiences through bodily practice, narrative performance, and symbolic judgment. Particular attention is given to food and wine pairing, a site where aesthetic legitimacy, cultural capital, and sensory logic intersect. The review highlights how sommelier practices are shaped by tradition and training, yet constantly renegotiated in light of sustainability concerns, technological innovation, and shifting consumer expectations. This synthesis offers new insights into the complexity of gastronomic professionalism and calls for greater interdisciplinary engagement with sommellerie as an evolving field of aesthetic, ethical, and embodied knowledge.