As Plain as the Nose on Your Face

Unfortunately when it comes to wine, the nose or the aromas that are described on a poetically crafted label are not as plain as the nose on ones face. In fact quite often they are completely elusive and leave the wine taster feeling underwhelmed and a little shaken for confidence.

Well then my friends, the news that I learnt recently will be music to your ears. The aromas that are mentioned in wine labels actually speak to the molecular construction of the wine. Simply put this means that the same molecules that make up a scent, e.g. lemon are also present in the molecules that make up the wine. Therefore the exact same particles that make up the smell a lemon has are present in the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that you probably drank over Christmas. 

Going into detail in the scientific element of this is most certainly going to put you to sleep. However, the point of the matter is that one should not feel intimidated or silly if you can’t smell these components in the glass you are drinking. As mentioned by the legend of wine aromas himself Jean Lenoir ‘some of these aroma compounds are mere traces, and are hardly detectable by our powerful analytical tools’. If this is true, then how can we possibly expect our little old untrained nose pick them up? Let’s face it, if you can smell even one or two different things in your favourite wine you are doing well.

Now that we have all had a little ego boost and can face our next glass of wine with greater confidence, the next step is to focus on the scents or aromas that are more obvious. It is likely that the aromas that smell the strongest are in fact just that and there are simply more of that particle in your wine.

Wood in chardonnay comes from the barrels

If you think of your favourite wine or even least favourite wine, you can probably think of some of the aromas or flavours that are associated with it. The interesting thing is that even if you can only think of the flavours, these are in fact the aromas. As you take a sip of the wine, the aromas enter the back of your nose and are transported to your brain sending you the signal that says ‘I love the passionfruit in my Sauvignon Blanc’ or ‘I can’t stand the strong wood in my chardonnay’. See, you are actually better at this than you thought!

Now that we know that specific aromas and flavours that we perceive in our wine are actually to do with the nose, it is possible to pay attention and train our nose. The best way that I have found to do this is focus on your favourite wine first. What do you like about it? Does it smell like anything you particularly like? Does it taste fresh? If it tastes fresh, what other fruits or vegetables do you get the impression of freshness from? It is great to think about these questions when you have your first sips. It will build up your knowledge really quickly.

I am very excited about the little discovery that I have made this week. There is nothing worse than feeling silly in front of people, especially if you think that the others have more knowledge than you. More often than not they don’t know either.

If you have any questions about this or anything else about wine, please write them on my AlexMacWine Facebook page, for some reason I can’t get comments to work here. Also, if you like my tips please share them. It is my goal to make the world a more wine friendly place.

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac.