Neurodivergent is an umbrella term that describes people with variation in their mental functions.
Some conditions include Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Synesthesia, amongst others. Neurodivergent individuals often experience variations in sensory processing amongst other things.
I am one of those people and I am also a sommelier.
When I was a kid, I remember flavors had a color and food textures expressed tactually in my mind. In my 30’s I learned there was a term for this: Synesthesia. To put it simply, my senses aren’t separated. I can “see” aromas and flavors.
A normal wine tasting note reads: This wine has aromas of blueberry, black fruits, olive, smoked meat, and leather. It is full bodied with soft tannins and good acidity.
Boring? To me it is.
Now imagine walking into a cavernous space that is half library and half kitchen. The brooding library is filled with dusty leather bound books & a high backed velour chair that is stained by squished blueberries. The kitchen is Parisian with a cracked stove to vent the brisket inside. A blackberry tart sits on a windowsill overlooking a bright field of olive trees. Same wine just from a Synesthete mind.
Words by Chelsea Young, a sommelier and wine educator in Atlanta, Georgia
Illustration by Grace Graves, an illustrator in Colorado
