Perception threshold

The ability to perceive and identify the odour and taste of substances is a complex process involving several human senses. The concentration at which a substance can be perceived, recognised or differentiated from other substances is crucial for the sensory assessment of food and drink. These limits are known as perception thresholds. They form an important basis for wine evaluation, wine characterisation and sensory quality control.

Olfactory system

Humans have around 400 different odour receptor types. The many possible combinations of their activation enable the human olfactory system to perceive around 10,000 different odours (however, this does not mean that a person can recognise or name 10,000 odours). These are perceived olfactorily via the olfactory mucosa (see arrow in the diagram).

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