Lance Carson
Wine fragrances are called 'aromas' or 'notes'. They are the smells that arise in the nose and mouth. The olfactory bulb in the nasal cavity perceives these aromas as odours and flavours. In wine tasting, wine is smelled before tasting to identify its components. The wine's appearance, texture, and body also play a role in the tasting process. Aroma, bouquet, and notes are terms used to describe wine fragrances. Primary aromas are derived from the grape variety, while secondary aromas come from the winemaking process and yeast used for fermentation. Tertiary aromas develop during the ageing process, especially in wooden barrels. These fragrances can be fruity, floral, spicy, woody, or mineral, among other categories. Wine fragrances are also used in perfumery to create unique scents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Aroma is a pleasant smell in wine, perceived through the olfactory cilia in the nasal cavity. |
| Aroma vs. Odour | Odour refers to an unpleasant smell or a possible wine fault. |
| Aroma vs. Flavour | Flavours are associated with taste and are perceived by the tongue's taste buds. |
| Aroma vs. Bouquet | Bouquet refers to the layers of aromas perceived when tasting a wine, particularly those derived from fermentation and ageing. |
| Primary Aromas | Derived from the grape variety itself, these aromas may be fruity or floral. Examples include violets, rose, chamomile, green apple, citrus, black and red berries. |
| Secondary Aromas | Derived from the winemaking process and yeast used for fermentation. The most common influence is oak, imparting nutty, buttery, vanilla, and cedar notes. |
| Tertiary Aromas | Develop during the ageing process, especially in wooden barrels. Examples include honey in Sauternes and truffles in Pinot Noir. |
| In-Glass Characteristics | The appearance and aroma of the wine in the glass are important factors in the tasting process. Swirling the glass releases the wine's innate scents. |
| In-Mouth Interpretation | Refers to the acidity, texture, and body of the wine as it settles in the mouth. Different flavours may unfold one after another, leading to the finish. |
| Finish | Describes the final impressions of the wine as it is swallowed, including how long the taste lingers and the texture in the mouth. |
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What You'll Learn
Primary aromas are derived from the grape variety itself
The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. While the human tongue can only perceive basic tastes like sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and savouriness, the wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy flavours in wine are derived from aroma notes sensed by the olfactory bulb.
Terroir imparts distinct mineral and earth-driven profiles to wine. For instance, the scent of wet stones or flint in a Loire Valley Chenin Blanc can be attributed to the mineral composition of its terroir, showcasing the significance of geological influence on the primary aroma profile of natural and organic wines.
In professional wine tasting, there is generally a distinction made between "aromas" and a wine's "bouquet". While in casual wine tasting, these two terms are used interchangeably. An aroma refers to the smells unique to the grape variety and are most readily demonstrated in a varietal wine – such as lychees with Gewürztraminer or black currant with Cabernet Sauvignon. These are smells that are commonly associated with a young wine.
Some of the aromas perceived in wine are from esters created by the reaction of organic acids and alcohols in the wine. Esters can develop during fermentation, with the influence of yeast, or later during ageing by a chemical reaction called esterification.
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Secondary aromas are linked to the winemaking process
The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. While the human tongue is limited to the primary tastes of sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and savouriness, wine aromas can include a wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy flavours.
These wine aromas are perceived through the olfactory bulb, and not through taste. Aromas are often confused with flavours, which are associated with taste and perceived by the tongue's taste buds.
Secondary aromas are derived from the winemaking process, particularly the fermentation of grape's natural sugar into alcohol. They are also influenced by the yeast used for fermentation. The precise yeast strain and temperature are two of the strongest indicators of what kind of esters will develop.
The term "secondary aroma" should refer to all the smells of vinification, not just fermentation, and include all the smells that are neither from the grape nor from ageing. For example, vanilla spice or toasty notes from oak barrels, or the buttery, creamy texture that can be a tell-tale sign of malolactic fermentation.
In addition, there is increasing awareness of the contribution of non-Saccharomyces yeast species to wine sensory features, either as wild microbiota or as complementary starters in simultaneous or sequential inoculation.
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Tertiary aromas arise during the ageing process
The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. While the human tongue is limited to the primary tastes of sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness, and savouriness, the wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy flavours present in wine are derived from aroma notes sensed by the olfactory bulb.
In oenology, wine fragrances are called aromas. Aromas are classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary, each representing a different origin and stage in the wine's development.
For example, aged Pinot Noir may develop mushroom or forest floor notes, while cellared Cabernet Sauvignon may exhibit tobacco and leather notes. Aged Sherries develop nutty notes, and vintage Port or some natural and organic wines aged under a veil of yeast develop oxidative maturation notes of dried fruit, caramel, and almonds.
The technique of microoxygenation affects the aromatic bouquet. Exposure to oxygen, whether intentional as in the case of oxidative winemaking styles, or through the gradual ingress in the bottle, transforms the molecular structure of aroma compounds.
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A wine's bouquet refers to the layers of aromas perceived by the taster
Wine fragrances are called aromas or a bouquet of aromas. A wine's bouquet refers to the layers of aromas perceived by the taster.
A wine's bouquet is a term used to convey the layers of aromas a taster perceives when sampling a wine. The human nose is capable of differentiating between thousands of unique scents. It is our olfactory abilities that allow us to discern the variety of flavours offered in a single sip. The tongue, on the other hand, is limited to sensing salty, sweet, bitter, and sour.
The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. The wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy flavours present in wine are derived from aroma notes sensed by the olfactory bulb. In wine tasting, wine is sometimes smelled before taking a sip in order to identify some components of the wine that may be present. The most basic term is "aroma", which generally refers to a pleasurable smell as opposed to "odour", which refers to an unpleasant smell or a possible wine fault. The term aroma may be further distinguished from bouquet, which generally refers to the smells that arise from the chemical reactions of fermentation and ageing of the wine.
A wine's bouquet is also used to refer to the smells derived from the winemaking process and the yeast used for fermentation. These are known as secondary aromas. Tertiary aromas, on the other hand, arise during the ageing process, particularly when the wine is aged in wooden barrels. The longer and more extensive the ageing, the more a wine's aromatics will be influenced by these tertiary aromas.
In professional wine tasting, there is generally a distinction made between "aromas" and a wine's "bouquet", while in casual wine tasting, these two terms are used interchangeably. An aroma refers to the smells unique to the grape variety and are most readily demonstrated in a varietal wine. These are smells that are commonly associated with a young wine. As a wine ages, chemical reactions among acids, sugars, alcohols, and phenolic compounds create new smells that are known as a wine's bouquet.
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Aromas are differentiated from flavours, which are associated with taste
Wine fragrances are called "aromas". Aromas are differentiated from flavours, which are associated with the basic tastes perceived by the tongue's taste buds, such as sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent or umami. Aromas, on the other hand, are perceived through the sense of smell and originate from volatile compounds released by the wine, which reach the nose.
Aroma can be differentiated from odour because it is perceived by both the mouth (connected to the nasal cavity) and the nose. Odours and flavours are perceived by olfaction and retro-nasal olfaction, through the receptors in the nasal cavity. Retro-nasal olfaction occurs when the molecules reach the olfactory bulb from the back of the mouth cavity.
In professional wine tasting, a distinction is made between "aromas" and a wine's "bouquet". In casual wine tasting, these terms are often used interchangeably. An aroma refers to the smells unique to the grape variety and is most readily demonstrated in a varietal wine. For example, lychees with Gewürztraminer or black currant with Cabernet Sauvignon. These are smells that are commonly associated with young wine.
As a wine ages, chemical reactions among acids, sugars, alcohols and phenolic compounds create new smells that are known as a wine's bouquet. These can include honey in an aged Sauternes or truffles in a Pinot noir. The term bouquet can also be expanded to include the smells derived from fermentation and exposure to oak.
There are three categories of wine aromas: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary aromas are specific to the grape variety itself. Secondary aromas are derived from the winemaking process and the yeast used for fermentation (the transformation of the grape's natural sugar into alcohol). Tertiary aromas arise during the ageing process, particularly when the wine is aged in wooden barrels or in a wine cellar (also known as the bouquet).
A wine's bouquet describes the combination of aromas, whereas the notes are minor or barely perceptible aromas. Recognising aromas will not only enhance your tasting pleasure but also help you assess the wine's origin and age.
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Frequently asked questions
Wine fragrances are called aromas.
Primary aromas are those derived from the grape variety itself. These aromas may present themselves as fruity or floral in nature. Violets, rose, chamomile, green apple, citrus, black and red berries would all fall under the primary aroma category.
Secondary aromas are derived from the winemaking process and yeast used for fermentation. They are influenced by the winemaker's choices and the most common influence is oak.
Tertiary aromas arise during the ageing process, particularly when the wine is aged in wooden barrels. The longer the ageing, the more a wine's aromatics will be influenced by these tertiary aromas.
A wine's bouquet refers to the layers of aromas the taster perceives when tasting a wine. It generally refers to the smells that arise from the chemical reactions of fermentation and ageing of the wine.
