Evaluating the Smell of Wine

Now that you know what the color of wine indicates, the next step is to understand how to smell wine and what those smells indicate. Smelling wine (particularly the first impression) is used to determine if there are flaws in the wine and whether the wine should be evaluated further. Of importance is that every person perceives smells differently and that many people have "blind spots" when it comes to scent. A great way to enhance your sense of smell is to crush different types of herbs, spices, and fruits into wine glasses and memorize what each one smells like.

1. Take a quick sniff of the wine. Is the smell pleasant? Here are some common (there are many more) unpleasant smells in wine and what they indicate:

o    Burning Match Aromas:

§  An indication of excessive sulfur dioxide

§  Sulfur dioxide is often used in vineyards to protect from mildew and mold

o    Dirty Socks Aromas:

§  Commonly due to bacterial contamination of the wine or unclean barrels (yet there are many other causes)

o    Moldy Aromas:

§  Often caused by bacterial spoilage, moldy grapes, or unclean barrels

o    Nail Polish Remover Aromas:

§  A sign of ethyl acetate, which occurs when acetic acid (common in wine) combines with ethanol (the most common type of alcohol in wine)

o    Wet Cardboard Aromas:

§  A sign that the wine is corked, meaning that the cork, and thus the wine, have been chemically contaminated

*These bad smells will not cause you any harm. Actually, some wine drinkers find small amounts of these smells pleasing. However, if it smells bad to you and you can't drink the wine, return it to the store you bought it from or, if in a restaurant, ask the sommelier for a new bottle. 

2. Now, swirl the glass of wine vigorously (I always swirl 10 times for consistency).The best way to do this is to put the wine on a flat surface, hold the glass from the stem, and rapidly move it as if you were drawing small circles. Tilt the glass towards you on an angle. Put your nose as close to the surface of the wine as possible (don't worry if you get wine on your nose...it happens). Start smelling at the bottom of the glass and work your way towards the top.

• The smells that you get at the bottom of the glass are called the aromas of the wine. These smells include fruit and the type of land that the vines are planted in.
• Examples of smells:
• Fruit
• Floral
• Chemical
• Spicy
• Earthy
• Woody
• The smells that you get at the top of the glass are called the bouquet of the wine. These smells indicate the fermentation techniques used as well as the type of storage used.
• If the smell does not change from bottom to top, the wine has been aged in stainless steel.
• Yeasty/bread dough smell:
• The wine has gone through a process known as Sur Lie (Lee's Treatment) in which the wine is rested on the dead yeast (the yeast that converted the juice into alcohol) for 3 months to 2 years.
• This process increases the body and viscosity of the wine.
• Buttery cream smell:
• The wine has gone through a process known as Malolactic Fermentation which is triggered by bacteria that converts the malic acid (which is tart and has an apple scent) in the wine into lactic acid (buttery cream scent).
• Almost every red wine goes through this process
• This process increases the body and viscosity of the wine but is much more expensive than a Sur Lie treatment.
• Scents of oak:
• The main types of oak that are used in wine-making are American and French oak. However, other types of oak are used (such as South African, Slavinian, and Hungarian) yet they are less common.
• American Oak:
• Dill, light vanilla, vegetables
• Generally more pronounced
• French Oak:
• Vanilla, butterscotch
• Generally less pronounced
• Additionally, if the oak is charred, it is common to get smoky scents in the wine, which often makes the wine more complex.