Unveiling The Complex Aromas Of Wine

Wine is a lot more complex than it seems. While the human tongue can only detect basic tastes like sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and savouriness, the human nose can distinguish thousands of unique scents. This is why wine aromas are so diverse and why wine tasting involves smelling the wine before taking a sip. Wine aromas are derived from the grape variety and winemaking processes such as fermentation and aging. The natural flavours of grapes, such as fruit, herb, and flower smells, combine with the yeasts and bacteria introduced during fermentation, creating a wide array of wine aromas. These can include fruity, floral, earthy, leathery, mineral, and woody aromas, among many others.

Wine aromas are influenced by grape variety, winemaking processes, and storage conditions

Grape Variety

The grape variety used in winemaking influences the wine's aroma. For example, lychees are associated with Gewürztraminer, and black currant with Cabernet Sauvignon. These aromas are commonly associated with young wines.

Winemaking Processes

Winemaking processes, such as fermentation and aging, also influence the wine's aroma. Fermentation creates a wine's secondary aromas, with oak being the most common influence. Aging can also introduce new aromas, such as oxidative character traits like coffee, caramel, toffee, and cocoa.

Storage Conditions

The wine's storage conditions can also affect its aroma. For instance, wines served at warmer temperatures tend to be more aromatic due to heat's ability to increase the volatility of aromatic compounds.

Wine aromas are classified as primary, secondary, and tertiary

Wine aromas are classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. These aromas appear in the different phases of vinification and can evolve or disappear over time.

Primary aromas are determined by the vine itself, although other factors like weather, cultivation area, and vineyard soil also influence them. These aromas are the easiest to identify when the wine is young. They provide floral notes like jasmine, rose, and lilac, fruity notes like blackcurrant, strawberry, and peach, as well as mineral notes from the ground, such as flint or chalk. For example, the Tempranillo variety of grapes found in red wines offers notes of red fruits, while the Sauvignon Blanc variety lends herbaceous notes like freshly cut grass.

Secondary aromas come from the fermentation phase of the wine, where grape sugars are turned into alcohol. This is where notes of yeast, butter, and bread appear. The intensity of these aromas is determined by the specifics of the fermentation process, such as temperature.

Tertiary aromas emerge during the aging phase of the wine, also known as evolution aromas. During aging, wines are exposed to oxygen, which causes chemical reactions that modify the balance of aromas. For instance, wines aged in barrels develop aromas of wood, vanilla, and roasted or toasted notes. In the bottle, red wines can turn towards ripe and stewed fruit or leather, while white wines may develop nutty and honey notes.

Primary aromas are derived from the fruit itself and include fruit, herb, and flower smells

Wine aromas are diverse, and the human nose can differentiate between thousands of unique scents. The primary aromas in wine are derived from the grape variety used to make the wine. These aromas are generally split into fruit, herb, and flower scents.

Fruit Aromas

In white wines, it is common to find citrus fruits such as lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit. White wines may also have aromas of tree fruits like apples, pears, quince, and peach. The climate in which the grapes are grown can also influence the aroma; white wines made from grapes grown in warmer climates may have tropical fruit aromas, such as pineapple, guava, mango, or lychee.

Red wines, on the other hand, tend to have red fruit aromas, like strawberries, red plums, or red cherries. The deeper and more intense the red wine, the more likely you are to detect black fruits like black cherries, blackberries, plums, and blueberries. Dessert wines may have concentrated dried fruit aromas, such as dried figs, prunes, or dates.

Herb and Vegetable Aromas

Both red and white wines can have vegetal or "green" notes. While these aromas can indicate flaws in the winemaking process, such as the use of underripe grapes, some grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc naturally have herbaceous flavours. Vegetables aromas can include asparagus, artichoke, beans, green or black olive, and bell pepper.

Herbaceous notes can include cut grass, tomato leaf, mint, eucalyptus, pine, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley.

Flower Aromas

Wine enthusiasts use the term ""floral" to describe the soft and fresh smell of blossoms often found in aromatic varieties of both red and white wines. Some wines are also known for their specific floral aromas. For example, honeysuckle and jasmine are commonly found in Torrontes, while orange blossom is often detected in young, dry Muscat. Rose petal is a common aroma in delicate reds like Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, as well as in the highly aromatic white Gewürztraminer. Lavender and linden flowers are often found in Rieslings, and smooth, soft reds like Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and mature Pinot Noir often have violet aromas.

Secondary aromas are influenced by the fermentation process and include nutty, buttery, and vanilla scents

The aromas of wine are diverse and influenced by a range of factors, from the grape variety to the winemaking process and storage conditions. The human nose is capable of differentiating between thousands of unique scents, which is why smelling wine is an integral part of the wine-tasting experience.

Wine aromas are commonly classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Secondary aromas are derived from the fermentation phase of the wine, which includes both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. This phase gives rise to notes of yeast, bread, butter, cake, and vanilla, among others. The intensity of these aromas is influenced by factors such as the temperature at which fermentation is carried out.

The process of fermentation involves converting grape sugars into alcohol, with the most common yeast used being Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During fermentation, chemical reactions among volatile and non-volatile compounds occur, resulting in the development of new aromas. The majority of volatile aroma compounds are present in the skin and juice of the grape and will vary depending on the grape variety.

The secondary aromas of wine can be influenced by different factors, with the most significant agent being the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process. The use of different yeast strains can also impact the development of secondary aromas. For example, non-Saccharomyces yeasts can enhance the complexity of aromas and interact with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, especially in mixed cultures.

In addition to the influence of yeast, the process of malolactic fermentation, commonly used in Chardonnay wines, can impart rich, buttery scents to the wine. This process is considered part of the secondary aromas as it is an intervention by the vintner and not innate to the grape variety.

Overall, the secondary aromas of wine are a result of the complex interactions between the grape variety, the fermentation process, and the specific techniques employed by the winemaker.

Tertiary aromas develop through bottle or oak aging and include leather, truffle, and spice notes

The aromas of wine are incredibly diverse, and the human nose can differentiate between thousands of unique scents. The olfactory bulb in our noses is responsible for detecting these aromas, and it is through this that we are able to discern the variety of flavours wine offers.

When it comes to wine aromas, professionals split them into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Tertiary aromas are those that develop through bottle or oak ageing. This is when wines truly develop their bouquet—the fragrant complex that a wine develops during ageing.

Tertiary aromas include leather, truffle, and spice notes, as well as cigar box, tobacco, cedar, mushroom, mocha, coconut, and pastry aromas. These notes are often found in red wines, while white wines can develop nutty, mushroom, or honey notes.

The ageing process causes the primary aromas, derived from the grape variety, to evolve into these tertiary aromas. For example, the berry notes from a young red wine will develop into dried fruits, prunes, and sultanas. The longer and more extensive the ageing, the more a wine's aromatics will be influenced by these tertiary notes.

Bottle age also allows for the development of other interesting notes. "These may appear over time as nuttiness, smoke, or honey in whites, and as leather, tobacco, or forest floor in reds," says Dave Rudman, executive director for Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Americas.

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