The Nose Knows

When it comes to smelling wine, it's best to start with the basics and work your way up. Begin by asking yourself if you can pick up any fruit scents. Think of general categories such as citrus, orchard, or tropical fruits for whites, and red fruits, blue fruits, or black fruits for reds. Don't worry too much about trying to identify one particular scent, as it can be frustrating. So just take it easy and enjoy the experience!

Understanding the different aromas can help you appreciate the drink even more. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Primary Aromas: These aromas are grape-derivative and include fruits, herbs, and floral notes.

• Secondary Aromas: These come from winemaking practices. They're most commonly found in white wines and include aromas like cheese rind, nut husk (almond, peanut), or stale beer.

• Tertiary Aromas: These come from aging, usually in bottle, or possibly in oak. These aromas are mostly savoury and include roasted nuts, baking spices, vanilla, autumn leaves, old tobacco, cured leather, cedar, and even coconut.

Are you curious about the source of the aromas in your wine? Allow me to enlighten you! The truth is, that these aromas are derived from aroma compounds known as stereoisomers, which are released when the alcohol evaporates and is captured by our sense of smell. It's akin to a scratch-and-sniff sticker. It's no surprise that a single glass of wine can contain hundreds of distinctive aroma compounds, resulting in a range of different scents for different people. However, it's essential to recognise that we may interpret individual aromas differently, causing us to use different words to describe the same scent. For instance, what you describe as "sweet Cumquat" may be referred to as "tangerine juice" by someone else. But let's not get bogged down in the details; we are both correct in expressing the sweet citrus quality of the wine, just in our language.

Wanna know more about wine? Come to our in-store tastings with our invited experts to get all your wine questions answered. https://www.barrelsandstills.store/events