Learning about wine's aromas | Wine For Newbies

“What do you smell?”

I’ve asked that question of students many times. At first, it strikes fear into their hearts, almost as if I am putting them on the spot, requiring the Correct Answer or else.

The hardest thing to get across is that there is no Correct Answer. It takes quite a leap of faith to accept that premise. We are all used to believing that what other people perceive is what we perceive as well. If I point to a sunny sky and say that the sky is blue, everyone’s perception is the same. If I smell the rotten eggs smell of a poorly adjusted catalytic converter and mention it, everyone else knows what I’m talking about. We all know what chocolate tastes like.

But when it comes to wine, it becomes more complicated, more confusing. Wine often has many aromas in the glass, and it can be hard to distinguish them. Further adding to the challenge is the fact that aromas can be ghost-like–a particular aroma will be noticeable one moment, and gone the next. It may return, or it may not. And then, of course, is the stumper–”I know this aroma, but I can’t put my finger on it.” It can be maddening. Reading tasting notes doesn’t help either–what do toasty melons smell like anyway?

It’s time for some sanity. Here’s my take on the idea of aromas.

First, don’t worry about it too much. Instead of trying to identify each aroma in the glass, study the intensity of the aromas. Are they non-existent? Subtle? Moderate? Powerful? Overpowering? Just enjoy the aromas in terms of their strength.

Second, decide whether the aromas are pleasant. If you find the aromas attractive, that’s a good sign. If there’s something the puts you off–swamp gas, musty or moldy smells, etc.–that can be a bad sign.

Third, try to generally describe the aromas. Are they floral? Fruity? Spicy? Earthy? Something else?

Once you’ve narrowed these issues down, then you can use a tool to help you better identify the aromas. One great tool happens to be free, the Wine Aroma Card published by Vinography.com. To be frank, I wish I had thought of this. But I’m glad that Alder Yarrow did and made it available to everyone. This card is something you can print out, cut to size, fold and carry in your wallet. No larger than a business card, it’s almost perfect. You can take it with you to wineries, tasting events, or just use it at home on a Tuesday evening.

A second tool is not free, but it’s well worth the low cost. The Wine Aroma Wheel is the creation of Ann C. Noble, a professor in California. It organizes aromas by broad and then increasingly narrow categories. This format works well for some, not so well for others. The disadvantage to this wheel is that its size precludes you from carrying it in your pocket, but it seems to be a bit more organized than the aroma card.

Okay, so you have a better idea now how to identify and describe wine’s aromas. But why the #!%@$ do we even care?

This is a great question. For most wine drinkers, it probably doesn’t matter if you can identify the aromas in a glass of wine. Even for most enthusiasts it may not make a difference. If you want to enjoy wine and not become too serious, don’t sweat it. Just enjoy the experience and don’t give it a second thought.

The important point here is that you do not have to be able to pick out every aroma in order to find pleasure in wine. If you want to work toward being able to identify particular aromas, then practice doing it. But if you can’t seem to get the hang of it, you can still be as much a wine enthusiast as anyone else. My own olafactory senses are not that great, but that doesn’t stop me from drinking and having fun with wine. Sometimes I can pick out an aroma, most of the time I don’t. But I don’t care.

And you don’t need to care, either. Just enjoy the wine. Over time you’ll find yourself becoming more interested in trying to distinguish the wine aromas. Maybe you won’t. But you’ll definitely enjoy the wine more if you pay some attention to the aromas.

I know my “don’t worry about it position” disagrees with many others. What do you think? Leave a comment and tell me if I’m all wet or if I might be on to something.

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