Early on in my wine journey, I participated in an exclusive burgundy tasting. I heard words such as coconut, curry, and coriander. While coconut and coriander I understand (I am Indian after all), I probably experienced my first whiff of them in the womb, lol. That said, curry? Curry is NOT a spice. In the Indian culinary world, curry refers to a gravy, which is its literal English translation. Curry on the other hand can also refer to curry powder in places like Malaysia, Singapore, and the West Indies. This curry powder is a blend of spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek seeds, etc. But out of respect I kept my humble opinion to myself.
As far as wine structure is concerned, we can all decipher it. The body can be as light as skim milk or as full as whole milk. Depending on whether the wine’s acidity is low or high, it can be juicy, lively, or crisp. The tannins can be gritty, soft, or silky. The alcohol can be high (feeling warm) or lower.
Minerality is yet another descriptor thrown around way too much. Minerals are inorganic matter, so plants can’t even consume them, but that’s a conversation for another time.
Now lets discuss aromas. in reference to wine, aromas are so subjective. I might say coconut, but you may never have eaten one so how could you catch it in wine? If you are allergic to soy sauce, you won’t know umami. And that’s OK.
As long as you can appreciate the structure of the wine and it’s quality, you are set. Its about appreciating the wine in context without being snooty, elitist, or worse, pretending to know better than everyone else.
As per my Alma Mater WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust), assuming the wine is free of flaws (corked, cooked, brett, oxidized, VA, sulfur, etc). A ‘good’ wine has well balanced fruit, sugar, acid, and tannin. It shows complexity and concentration, as well as expressing something of its grape variety/varieties or region of origin.
Speaking of varietal purity. Just as truffles should smell and taste like truffles, grapes, especially single varietal wines should taste and smell like it’s typical character.
Wait a minute, where exactly are these aromas coming from? Do you mean the wine in contention tastes like a peach or pineapple?
Petrol, wet wool, pineapple, butter, ginger, mint, fennel, roses, and white pepper are are things that can present through smell. Do you mean to tell me that the wine in context tastes or smells like ginger or butter?
The answer my dear friends lies in Chemistry. All plants, including grapes (fruit) & vegetables form Volatile Organic Compounds (aka organic chemicals), or VOC during the ripening and maturation stages. These VOCs can be sub categorized into Alcohols, Esters, Acids, Aldehydes, Ketones, and Terpenes.
VOCs are the most significant contributing factor in deducing wines during blind tasting. Ask yourself questions like what kind of fruits can you smell/taste? For example, Citrus (lemon, grapefruit), Green (apple, pear), Stone fruit (peach, apricot), Red (cherry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry), Black (blackberry, blueberry), or Tropical (pineapple, lychee, banana). Does it smell of spices like black pepper, licorice, or ginger? What about herbs? Are there hints of mint, fennel, or eucalyptus?
Broadly speaking aromas and flavors are described in three categories.
Primary: aromas and flavors are contributed by the grape and/or fermentation process. For example, Moscato’s floral nose of roses and orange blossoms. Cabernet Sauvignon’s has a quintessential bell pepperiness. Or Beaujolais with its tell-tale aromas of carbonic maceration like bubble gum or pear drop.
Secondary: aromas and flavors are associated with aging and treatment after wine has completed its alcoholic fermentation. Napa Valley chardonnay’s buttery flavor is derived from MLF (malolactic fermentation). Bordeaux and California Cabernet’s are aged in new oak barrels which provide flavors of vanilla, cinnamon and smoke. Champagne and Sherry’s pastry have bready aromas that come from yeast.
Tertiary: aromas and flavors that are a result of long aging. Wines aged in the presence of oxygen (meaning they go through a process of oxidation) like with oak barrels may exhibit chocolate, coconut, and roasted nuts. While wines that mature in the bottle (without oxygen) demonstrate hints of petrol, honey, and mushroom. You can experience these aromas in wines like a Mosel Riesling or a White Burgundy.
Ideally wines which are complex in nature should reveal a diversity of flavors. An aged Red Burgundy or Barolo dances in the glass with primary, secondary, and tertiary flavors.
Here is a cheat table to tackle common wine aromas. You are welcome!!
| SCENT | CHEMICAL COMPOUND | AROMA | GRAPE VARIETAL |
| Rose | Terpene: Geraniol, Nerol | Primary | Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo |
| Lychee | Terpene | Primary | Gewurtztraminer |
| Citrus | Terpene: Linalool, Limonene, Citral | Primary | Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, |
| Black Pepper | Terpene: Rotundone | Primary | Syrah |
| White Pepper | Terpene: Rotundone | Primary | Gruner Veltliner |
| Green Pepper | Terpene: Rotundone | Primary | Schioppettino |
| Lavender | Terpene: Linalool | Primary | Refosco family, Grenache, Red wines of South France |
| Rosemary | Alpha-pinene | Primary | Red wines of South France |
| Green Bell Pepper | Methoxypyrazines | Primary | Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Fresh Cut Grass | Aldehyde: Hexanal | Primary | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Tomato Leaf | Aldehyde: Hexenal | Primary | Sangiovese |
| Vanilla Bean | Aldehyde: Vanillin | Secondary | Wines fermented or aged in Oak, especially American Oak |
| Bitter Almond | Benzaldehyde | Primary | Pinot Gris, Verdicchio |
| Cherry | Benzaldehyde: cynanhydrin | Primary | Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, |
| Violets | Ketones: Beta-ionone | Primary | Lambrusco Salamino, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese |
| Butter | Diketone: Diacetyl | Secondary | Byproduct of MLF. Chardonnay from California or Burgundy |
| Hazelnut | Lactone | Secondary/ Tertiary | Champagne, aged sparkling wines |
| Banana | Isomayl Acetate | Primary | Pecorino. Wines that undergo carbonic maceration |
| Passion Fruit | Mercaptan: 4MMP | Primary | Grillo, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc |
| Coconut | Lactone: Octalatone | Secondary | Wines aged in American Oak like Zinfandel, Rioja |
| Petrol | TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene) | Tertiary | Riesling (technically a flaw due to sun burn) |
| Smoke/Toast | Guaicol | Secondary | Syrah, wines aged in oak |
| Cloves | Eugenol | Secondary | Syrah, CDP, Bordeaux, Shiraz |
| Apple | Esters | Primary | Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc |
| Raspberry | Esters | Primary | Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Syrah |
| Strawberry | Esters | Primary | Frapatto, Gamay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, |
| Stone Fruit – Peach, Apricot | Esters. Lactone compound. | Primary | Riesling, Albarino, Viognier, Greco, Malvasia, Falanghina, Arneis |
| Grapefruit | Thiols | Primary | Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, |
| Black Currant | Thiols | Primary | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bordeaux |
| Chocolate | Thiols | Tertiary | Malbec. Wines aged in oak like Merlot, CS |
| Balsamic | Acetic Acid aka Volatile Acidity | Tertiary | Sangiovese – Chianti, Brunello. Amarone |
| Bacon | Phenols | Tertiary | Australian Shiraz, French Syrah, American Syrah from Paso Robles |
| Mushrooms | Geosmin | Tertiary | Old world aged wines both red and white |
| Honey | Botrytis fungus aka noble rot | Tertiary | Dessert wines – Tokaji, Sauternes. Aged white wines |
| Ginger | Tertiary | Aged white wines |
If you are looking to expand your wine dictionary, I highly recommend purchasing Le Nez du Vin, an invaluable blind tasting kit that features 54 aromas associated with wine.
Why should you learn to speak the language of wine? I mean, its definitely not for the high brow value, but instead to be able to gain an understanding and appreciation of the hard work and passion that goes into making a good wine.
Yes, we as professionals have to undergo vigorous training for academic reasons. There is a standardized benchmark to evaluate our certifications. Beyond that, it’s simple bragging rights. And let me assure you, it’s simply not required. It doesn’t make one more intelligent, if anything it sounds pretentious and intimidating, and that should never be the purpose. Intimidating other’s only serves to devalue wine.
Wine is inclusive, it tastes best with company and food. Don’t make it exclusive.
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