{"id":48312,"date":"2024-04-10T19:10:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T19:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T22:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T22:12:08","slug":"behind-the-glass","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Glass"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Wine lovers who have pondered the answers to questions like “Why is red wine red?” and “Why do people perceive wines differently?” will appreciate this book.” —<\/em> Wall Street Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n

“…one of those rare books that will make you think differently next time you open a bottle of wine”—<\/em> Club O<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

“… Gus Zhu MW has written a fascinating – and easy to follow – guide to the way in which chemistry, biology, physics, genetics and winemaking interact to not only create the great diversity seen in today’s world of wine, but also shape our ability to taste, understand and appreciate these wines.” —<\/em> Natasha Hughes MW, wine and food writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

“A lively, readable exploration of the science behind the taste of wine… It’s not easy bringing wine chemistry to life, but Gus knows his stuff and presents it in an easily digestible read.” <\/em>— Dr Jamie Goode, author of Wine Science and Flawless<\/strong><\/p>\n

“For those whose interest in wine has evolved beyond the simply sip phase, Behind the Glass would be a good first place to look for answers to some fundamental questions.”<\/em> — The World of Fine Wine<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>In Behind the Glass<\/em><\/strong> readers will discover the science involved in wine tasting and learn why wine tastes the way it does. Wine is chemically very complex, while sensory appreciation can be subjective, meaning that our perception of wine is multi-layered. Behind the Glass <\/em><\/strong>is aimed at the non-scientist curious wine lover or wine professional and uses flavor chemistry and sensory science to help readers understand what is going on when they taste a glass of wine. The book is divided into three sections, on the visual appreciation of wine, the taste of wine on the palate and the smell of wine, and explains the chemical and sensory aspects of each. The text is illuminated by accompanying graphics. The book concludes with six pairs of wines to taste, to allow readers to put into practice the ideas explored in the book. By understanding more fully the chemical and sensorial aspects of wine tasting readers will equip themselves to better appreciate each glass of wine they taste.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new approach to understanding the science behind wine tasting from a new voice in wine scholarship. Gus Zhu MW explores this fascinating subject with clear graphics so that any wine drinker and science lover will get more out of their glass.
Introduction: a welcome drink 1
\nPart One: Sight 7
\n1. Why is red wine red? 11
\nThe chemicals that make wines red or pink, and other properties of colour
\n2. The complex colour of white wines 26
\nWhat makes a wine white? How do colour blindness and differences in colour perception affect our initial thoughts about a wine?
\n3. Solids, tears and bubbles 40
\nThe other visual attributes of wine and how preconceptions affect our appreciation of wine
\nPart Two: Palate 57
\n4. Sweet sensation and yummy umami 62
\nDebunking the tongue map, explaining taste buds and exploring the first two basic tastes: sweet and umami
\n5. Sour grapes and mysterious saltiness 76
\nThe science behind the more acquired tastes of sour and salty and an exploration of taste interactions, including food and wine pairing
\n6. Some bitter truths about taste 92
\nThe bitter taste, fat as the potential sixth taste, and the genetic diversity of human taste buds
\n7. Tactile sensations and acquired taste 102
\nThe sensations derived from touch–position and pain– temperature. Does our palate change as we grow up?
\nPart Three: Smell 113
\n8. A bouquet of flowers and a fruit bowl 118
\nRevealing the two ways of smelling and introducing the floral and fruity aromas in wine
\n9. Sniffing out the green aromas 136
\nThe vegetal and herbal aromas in wine. Some things to think about when considering the threshold of aroma
\ndetection
\n10. Friends or foes? Foxy, musty and gamey smells 148
\nAromas that are ambiguous, unpleasant, or faulty, and how we adapt to certain smells
\n11. Spicy, petrol and woody complexity 161
\nSome unusual aromas from the grapes and some woody spices from the winemaking process: but not everybody
\ncan smell them
\n12. The world of oxidation and reduction 175
\nTwo complementary domains of chemical compounds that contribute more layers of aroma, and some final thoughts on just how impressive and important our sense of smell is
\nEpilogue: Putting it all together in six pairs of wines 192
\nReferences 207
\nThanks 223
\nIndex 226<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":52479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[5711,21582],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48312","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-food-drink","7":"product_cat-reference","8":"author-by-author-gus-zhu","9":"publisher-academie-du-vin-library-ltd","11":"first","12":"instock","13":"shipping-taxable","14":"purchasable","15":"product-type-simple"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBehind the Glass - ACC Art Books US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Behind the Glass - ACC Art Books US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new approach to understanding the science behind wine tasting from a new voice in wine scholarship. Gus Zhu MW explores this fascinating subject with clear graphics so that any wine drinker and science lover will get more out of their glass.Introduction: a welcome drink 1 Part One: Sight 7 1. Why is red wine red? 11 The chemicals that make wines red or pink, and other properties of colour 2. The complex colour of white wines 26 What makes a wine white? How do colour blindness and differences in colour perception affect our initial thoughts about a wine? 3. Solids, tears and bubbles 40 The other visual attributes of wine and how preconceptions affect our appreciation of wine Part Two: Palate 57 4. Sweet sensation and yummy umami 62 Debunking the tongue map, explaining taste buds and exploring the first two basic tastes: sweet and umami 5. Sour grapes and mysterious saltiness 76 The science behind the more acquired tastes of sour and salty and an exploration of taste interactions, including food and wine pairing 6. Some bitter truths about taste 92 The bitter taste, fat as the potential sixth taste, and the genetic diversity of human taste buds 7. Tactile sensations and acquired taste 102 The sensations derived from touch–position and pain– temperature. Does our palate change as we grow up? Part Three: Smell 113 8. A bouquet of flowers and a fruit bowl 118 Revealing the two ways of smelling and introducing the floral and fruity aromas in wine 9. Sniffing out the green aromas 136 The vegetal and herbal aromas in wine. Some things to think about when considering the threshold of aroma detection 10. Friends or foes? Foxy, musty and gamey smells 148 Aromas that are ambiguous, unpleasant, or faulty, and how we adapt to certain smells 11. Spicy, petrol and woody complexity 161 Some unusual aromas from the grapes and some woody spices from the winemaking process: but not everybody can smell them 12. The world of oxidation and reduction 175 Two complementary domains of chemical compounds that contribute more layers of aroma, and some final thoughts on just how impressive and important our sense of smell is Epilogue: Putting it all together in six pairs of wines 192 References 207 Thanks 223 Index 226\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ACC Art Books US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-16T22:12:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/\",\"name\":\"Behind the Glass - ACC Art Books US\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-10T19:10:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-16T22:12:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg\",\"width\":898,\"height\":1400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Books\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/books\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Behind the Glass\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"ACC Art Books US\",\"description\":\"One of the world\u2019s leading publishers and distributors of books on the arts and visual culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Behind the Glass - ACC Art Books US","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Behind the Glass - ACC Art Books US","og_description":"A new approach to understanding the science behind wine tasting from a new voice in wine scholarship. Gus Zhu MW explores this fascinating subject with clear graphics so that any wine drinker and science lover will get more out of their glass.Introduction: a welcome drink 1 Part One: Sight 7 1. Why is red wine red? 11 The chemicals that make wines red or pink, and other properties of colour 2. The complex colour of white wines 26 What makes a wine white? How do colour blindness and differences in colour perception affect our initial thoughts about a wine? 3. Solids, tears and bubbles 40 The other visual attributes of wine and how preconceptions affect our appreciation of wine Part Two: Palate 57 4. Sweet sensation and yummy umami 62 Debunking the tongue map, explaining taste buds and exploring the first two basic tastes: sweet and umami 5. Sour grapes and mysterious saltiness 76 The science behind the more acquired tastes of sour and salty and an exploration of taste interactions, including food and wine pairing 6. Some bitter truths about taste 92 The bitter taste, fat as the potential sixth taste, and the genetic diversity of human taste buds 7. Tactile sensations and acquired taste 102 The sensations derived from touch–position and pain– temperature. Does our palate change as we grow up? Part Three: Smell 113 8. A bouquet of flowers and a fruit bowl 118 Revealing the two ways of smelling and introducing the floral and fruity aromas in wine 9. Sniffing out the green aromas 136 The vegetal and herbal aromas in wine. Some things to think about when considering the threshold of aroma detection 10. Friends or foes? Foxy, musty and gamey smells 148 Aromas that are ambiguous, unpleasant, or faulty, and how we adapt to certain smells 11. Spicy, petrol and woody complexity 161 Some unusual aromas from the grapes and some woody spices from the winemaking process: but not everybody can smell them 12. The world of oxidation and reduction 175 Two complementary domains of chemical compounds that contribute more layers of aroma, and some final thoughts on just how impressive and important our sense of smell is Epilogue: Putting it all together in six pairs of wines 192 References 207 Thanks 223 Index 226","og_url":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/","og_site_name":"ACC Art Books US","article_modified_time":"2025-09-16T22:12:08+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/","url":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/","name":"Behind the Glass - ACC Art Books US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-10T19:10:12+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-16T22:12:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/app\/uploads\/books\/9781913141912-04-1.jpg","width":898,"height":1400},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/book\/behind-the-glass\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Books","item":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/books\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Behind the Glass"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/","name":"ACC Art Books US","description":"One of the world\u2019s leading publishers and distributors of books on the arts and visual culture","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/48312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48312"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=48312"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=48312"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accartbooks.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=48312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}