Wine Aroma is one of the most challenging attributes of the wine to put into words. How come you taste chalk or wet stone? My advice will always be to start with common descriptors, write them all, and repeat them. Practice makes the master in wine tasting as all things in life. But remember, mastery requires discipline and hard work. I admire the Sommeliers that have to taste a lot of wine to earn their diplomas. However, you do not have to be a Sommelier to train your nose to discover new aromas..
PERSONAL SENSITIVITY TO AROMAS
First, remember that the aromas you appreciate in wine might differ from what others perceive. Second, we are all different and have different experiences that can lead us to discover different wine aromas. Experts such as Philippe Darriet from the Institute of Vine and Wine Science state that each taster has a unique personal sensitivity to aromas”. Third, even though you can memorize the typical aromas of each grape, the sensitivity to appreciate aromas in wine might differ slightly from the aromas perceived by others.
Each grape has different flavors that, generally speaking, you should appreciate once you train your nose to distinguish them. However, many factors can alter the wine aromas, such as the terroir, the winemaking, the fermentation, and the weather. Mr. Darriet, in the Handbook of Odor, states that many components constitute the wine aroma. These components include the grapes, the metabolism of wine microorganisms during alcoholic and malolactic fermentations, and the oak barrels used during wine aging.
PRACTICE AND BE PATIENT WITH THE PROCESS
Discovering wine aromas is simple yet can be intimidating. However, practice makes the master. I recommend you practice strategically using the “5 S” Tasting Method to appreciate wine. For instance, this method’s first ‘S’ stands for Smell; Smell the wine. Write down the aromas you perceived in your phone, an app, or a notebook. If you do not have a tool to write about the aromas, try to discover them in your mind. Notably, it helps me to say the wine aromas out loud. Keep practicing and be patient with your process.
In fine wines, the aroma may associate with complexity, finesse, and elegance. In addition, wine aroma can relate to a level of uniqueness that makes them a source of great pleasure. Discovering the various wine aromas is a complex but fun and enjoyable experience.
Wine aromas scientific source:
I went deep on this investigation and I want to share with you the source of the Wine Journal by Darriet, P., & Pons, A. (2017). Wine. In Buettner, & Andrea (Eds.), Springer handbook of odor (pp. 25-26). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26932-0_8
