The aromas of wine

Have you ever listened to a wine tasting ? The person conducting the tasting observes the wine, describes the colors he sees, and then brings the glass to his nose and describes a series of aromas of fruit, flowers, spices, wood, chocolate, among others. He tastes it and continues the description...

Are fruits or spices really added to make wine aromatic?

There are those who ask whether fruits or spices are really added to wine to make it aromatic. The answer is a resounding no.

Aroma is important when it comes to tasting a wine.

The sense of smell is what leads us to evoke feelings or remember situations in a clear and honest way. Wine is no exception. Aromas provide information about what is going to be tasted through a journey into a fruity, floral, spicy, balsamic world among a huge universe of possibilities. The more aromas can be distinguished, the more complex the wine can be.

Aroma is therefore a very important element when it comes to tasting a wine. Thanks to it, we can obtain information about the variety of grape used to make the wine, the process used or the age obtained after aging in barrels.

Is aroma and smell the same?

Aroma refers to all positive impressions during a tasting, and smell refers to negative expressions. An example would be the expression aroma of fruit, flowers and smell of humidity, solvent, or other unpleasant substances.

The olfactory phase is the most complex in a tasting and each person has a different ability to perceive aromas. There are also many factors that block or diminish olfactory capacities, from physical and health aspects to emotional states. In this phase, the qualities and defects of the wine can be appreciated, and it is closely related to the gustatory phase, since aromas are perceived through two paths: the direct nasal route and the retronasal route.

Primary, secondary and tertiary aromas

Wine develops certain aromatic substances throughout the process, from the vineyard to ageing, and depending on the stage a wine is in, the aromas are classified into three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary.

Primary aromas in wines

They are characteristic of the grape and depend on the area where it was grown, the variety to which it belongs, the type of soil composition, the climate in the area and the processes during the harvest. The aromas they provide on the nose are floral, vegetal and fruity, although they can also impart spicy or mineral aromas.

Secondary aromas in wines

They usually appear as a result of alcoholic fermentation and malolactic transformation. These depend on the type of yeast and the conditions that promote fermentation, such as oxygenation or temperature, among other factors. They are composed of caramelized, lactic and even bakery aromas.

Tertiary aromas in wines

Finally, tertiary aromas are aromas that have been acquired during the ageing of the wine in barrels and during its maturation stage in the bottle. Their main characteristic is that they are balsamic, woody, roasted or dried fruit aromas.

It is not common to talk about flavours in wine, as they are the combination of aromas and sensations on our tongue. So, whenever we want to refer to what we perceive in a wine, we say that they are aromas or we use phrases like “it is a very aromatic wine” or “aromas of…”.

The best way to explore the aromas in a wine is to taste it with the awareness of clearly identifying what we are perceiving. Enjoying the wine is the most important thing, but if you can also interpret it, it is an even better experience.