Finding my nose; Wine tastings, sniffing sessions, and some highly fashionable advice Catherine Piercy scours Manhattan for a perfume that's perfectly hers.

Byline: Catherine Piercy

Tell me what perfume you wear and I'll tell you who you are," says Francois Duquesne of L'Artisan Parfumeur, the French fragrance house with a cult following. Sheepishly, I admit that when it comes to perfume, I'm experiencing something of an identity crisis. With literally thousands of fragrances to choose from-several hundred launched just this year-how can I tell if I'm a spicy Oriental (Armani Code) or a woody floral (Thierry Mugler Alien-yes, Alien)?

To help hapless beginners like myself hone in on their senses, L'Artisan began offering private perfume workshops in Manhattan this fall, leading small groups through several hours of sniffing and self-discovery in their SoHo and Upper East Side boutiques. Employing vials of single-note aromas and trays of raw materials, the sessions draw inevitable comparisons to a wine tasting. Which leaves me wondering: Could I, in the same way I might train my palate to pluck flavors from a full-bodied Bordeaux, open my nose to hints of fresh lilac or bergamot in an eau de parfum-and sniff my own way to a signature scent?

TASTE TEST

As it turns out, the connection between wine and perfume is more than metaphor, a lesson I learn while standing in the wine cellar of Alain Ducasse's three-star restaurant on Central Park South with assistant chef sommelier Thomas Carter. "About 65 to 80 percent of what we taste is processed through our sense of smell," says Carter, who has a special talent for pairing classic perfumes with grand cru vintages. "If you're consistently drawn to a Sancerre with grapefruit and herbs or a rich Syrah with brown spices, there's a good chance you'll favor a fragrance with similar characteristics."

Carter sets a long oak table with several glasses of Ducasse's most diverse wines. When I proclaim a 2002 Hanzell Chardonnay particularly delicious, we discuss its crisp citrus flavors and the lack of buttery oak in its finish-qualities I can see in the refreshing floral fragrances (like Jo Ma_lone Orange Blossom) of my past. A 2001 Charmes-Chambertin Pinot Noir leaves my taste buds singing next, with soft pepper and a hint of something tart. Carter describes it as "earth-driven, with a nice balance of red fruit and spices"-similar to a soft Oriental perfume. Half a dozen sips later, he concludes that the vintages I prefer are "well blended rather than one-dimensional-meaning you'd probably never go for an aggressive perfume or one made entirely of one note."

HIGHER EDUCATION