The trigeminal nerve is the fifth, very sensitive cranial nerve of the facial skull. It owes its name to the fact that it is divided into three main branches, one of which also has olfactory functions. It conveys tactile (concerning the sense of touch) sensations of the facial region, which are perceived on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and the nose during wine or alcohol consumption. These are irritative (irritating, arousing) sensations of a physical rather than chemical nature. The trigeminal stimuli are a partial aspect of haptic perception. They are not typical olfactory or gustatory sensations, although the effects are relatively strongly involved in the overall impression.
Trigeminal muscle contributes significantly to olfactory sensation intensity (about 30%). In heavy smokers, nasal trigeminal sensitivity is reduced, but olfactory (smelling) sensitivity is unaffected. Trigeminal stimuli can be perceived both positively (alcohol, horseradish, menthol, carbonic acid, paprika, pepper, mustard, onion), but also negatively (ammonia, smoke, sulphur). A typical reaction to trigeminal stimuli is...
I have great respect for the scope and quality of the wein.plus encyclopaedia. It is a unique place to go for crisp, sound information on terms from the world of wine.
Dr. Edgar Müller
Dozent, Önologe und Weinbauberater, Bad Kreuznach