Smell: This is commonly referred to
as the “Olfactory Examination.” There are only four
elements that you can taste with your tongue:
Salt, Sweet, Bitter & Sour
Every other perception of flavor comes from your sense of smell. All grape varietals have a unique “fingerprint” of “Primary Aroma Components” that are unique to themselves. A primary Aroma is the first obvious Fruit Aromas that one senses on their first sampling of a wine and by comparing your findings to the chart below, you will be able to evaluate what the varietal of that wine is. Now, in the United States grapes are predominantly labeled and recognized by the grape varietal. In Europe, specifically France, wines are identified by the region that the grapes were grown. For ease of instruction we will focus on wines from the United States.
Slowly swirl the wine in your glass to allow it to breath and release its aromas and bouquet. Record your first impressions or thoughts as to the type of fruit that you first encounter, then compare those notes to the chart below.
WHITE WINES
|
CHARDONNAY
|
||
| GREEN APPLE MELON |
|
PEAR PINEAPPLE |
|
SAUVIGNON BLANC
|
||
| HERBACIOUS LEMON |
|
VEGETAL GRAPEFRUIT |
|
REISLING
|
||
| APRICOT HONEY |
|
PEACH FLORAL |
RED WINES
|
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
|
||
| BLACKBERRY RASPBERRY |
|
CURRANT PLUM |
|
MERLOT
|
||
| BLACKBERRY BLUEBERRY |
|
CHERRY CASSIS |
|
PINOT NOIR
|
||
| BLACK CHERRY VIOLETS |
|
RASPBERRY BLACK CURRANT |
* Remember the 90% rule and take into consideration the depth of color on the wines as well as the intensity…wines listed above are from heaviest and fullest bodied to lightest in both body and color.
Secondary Aromas components will give you a hint of how the wine was made.
SECONDARY AROMAS
| LEMON | OVERLY MATURE GRAPES AT HARVEST |
| TEA | YOUNG WHITE WINE FOR CELLARING |
| VANILLA | BARREL FERMENTED OR AGED IN NEW FRENCH OAK |
| CINNAMON | FORTIFIED WINE |
| CARAMEL | TIME SPENT IN BURNT OAK BARREL |
| BUTTERSCOTCH | MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION |
| TOBACCO | RED WINE FOR CELLARING |
Tertiary (Third) aroma components will give you hints of the age and maturity of a wine.
TERTIARY (THIRD) AROMAS
| APPLE | YOUNG WHITE WINE* |
| QUINCE | WHITE WINE AT ITS’ PEAK |
| MUSHROOM | RED WINE KEPT FOR A FEW YEARS |
| CINNAMON | FORTIFIED WINE |
| CHOCOLATE | RED WINE AT ITS’ PEAK |
| PRUNE | END OF RED WINES PEAK PERIOD |
| FIG | GREAT RED WINE AT MATURITY |
*Remember, Primary apple aroma means Chardonnay. If you want to get technical…Chardonnays from California, show more tropical fruits, due to warmer growing temperatures. Chardonnays from the “Chablis” regions of France show more green apple. If you are guessing that a Chardonnay is from the United States…and it has an obvious green apple nose, then it came from a cooler growing region, and probably from the Pacific Northwest
