Final answer:
Textures in food and wine refer to the tactile sensations felt in the mouth, not perceived by the olfactory nerves. The correct choice is 'C. none of the above', as texture is a separate sensation from taste and smell, which involve chemical receptors for different flavors and odors.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of describing food and wine, textures refer to the qualities of these items that are felt in the mouth. This sensation involves the tactile perception of food, which includes the sense of mouthfeel or the physical sensations in the mouth caused by food or drink. As such, textures are not elements perceived by the olfactory nerves in the throat, as mentioned in option A.
Instead, they are directly related to the sense of touch within the mouth. Therefore, the correct answer from the provided choices would be 'C. none of the above'. This is because the qualities in the food and wine that are felt in the mouth pertain to tactile sensations and are independent of the chemical sensing functions of gustation (taste) and olfaction (smell), which detect taste and odor molecules, respectively. The gustatory system involves taste receptors that detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavors. Meanwhile, the olfactory system plays a crucial role in the enjoyment and perception of nuances in food and wine flavors by detecting odor molecules.