First, get some got swirling action going in your glass. Not only does this mix oxygen with your wine, helping to clear out the unfriendly aromas that develop from the wine being bottled up, but it also reveals the wine’s unique flavors. The nose is actually far more important than the taste, because the nose can recognize thousands of different flavors. Your tongue can really only find five - sour, sweet, bitter, salty, and umami (meaty/savory).
So, swirl that glass, stick your schnoz in, and take a big whiff. It might only smell like wine to you right now, but you can train your nose to start picking out flavors. Next time you’re eating a piece of fruit, try to remember the smell of it. Many white wines offer tropical fruit flavors such as banana, apple, or lime. Many red wines offer berry flavors, such as raspberries, blackberries, or currants.
Smell everything you can to train your nose: incense, vegetables, cheese, rocks, tree bark, spices from your cabinet, chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, dried fruit, nuts, even diesel. Yes, these are all smells that could be found in wine. And there are many more.
What about wood? Many wines are kept in oak casks for years, so oak smells will often be present. Other scents may come forth, signifying what type of oak was used. Vanilla or coconut will show up if American oak was used. American oak is also a lot more intense than French oak. French oak provides softer, rounder flavors, and is more expensive, so this is often used for higher quality wines.
Something else one can tell from the nose of the wine is whether the wine is sound. This means that the wine hasn’t been damaged, and is in good shape. Scents signifying that a wine has gone bad are called faults. The smell of sulphur, burnt rubber, skunk, soap, must, mold, nail polish remover, rancid butter, wet dog, or burnt matches all signify that your wine may not be drinkable. Don’t serve this to your guests.
To help you better recognize flavors, print out a wine aroma wheel and keep it by your side when tasting wine. This tool really helps to identify flavors.
It’s a common thought that the descriptors on the back of a wine label are a lot of horse doodie. “A lovely aroma of Creme Brulée”? C’mon! But guess what? The person who wrote the label smelled Creme Brulée. Wine is subjective. You might smell apples, and your best friend might smell oranges. That’s just the way it goes. There is no right or wrong answer.
But identifying flavors on the nose helps you remember what you like, and what that wine means to you. When you go to taste it, the wine will be far more fulfilling.
How to taste wine - step 3 - taste
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