The Knowing Nose

Common Aromas

Chardonnay Apple,Butter,Butterscotch,Citrus,Fig,Grapefruit,Hazelnut,Melon,Pear,Pineapple,Tangerine
Toast,Vanilla,Oak/Wood.

Sauvignon Blanc Fig,Grapefruit,Grass,Herbs,Pineapple,Smoke
Viognier Apricot,Floral,Honey,Musk,Peach,Spices

Champagne & Sparkling Wines
Biscuit, Bread Dough, CitrusCreme Brulee, Fig, Grass, Hazelnut, Honey, Minerals, Pear, Toast, Walnut.

Port
Alcohol, Anise, Berry, BrownSugar, Caramel, DarkChocolate, Smoke, Nutmeg, Plum, Roasted Nuts, Toffee, Vanilla.

Merlot
Blackberry, Cassis, Cherry, Chocolate, Coffee, Herbs, Leather, Mocha, Oak, Plum, Spices, Toast

Cabernet Sauvignon Anise, BlackCherry, Blackberry, Cassis, Cedar, Currant, Eucalyptus, Herbs, Leather, Mint, Oak, Olive, Plum, Spices, Tar, Tobacco

Other Interesting Reds
Pinot Noir Berries, Cherry, Chocolate, Leather, Rose, Tobacco

Sangiovese Anise, Cherry, Earth, Mocha, Raspberry, Tea

Tempranillo Cassis, Cherry, Plum, Spices, Tobacco, Vanilla

Cabernet / Merlot Blends Bordeaux-Styled Anise, Berries, Cherry, Currant, Herbs, Spices

Syrah / Shiraz Pepper, Melted Asphalt, Rose


Common Aromas Chardonnay Apple,Butter,Butterscotch,Citrus,Fig,Grapefruit,Hazelnut,Melon,Pear,Pineapple,Tangerine Toast,Vanilla,Oak/Wood. Sauvignon Blanc Fig,Grapefruit,Grass,Herbs,Pineapple,Smoke Viognier Apricot,Floral,Honey,Musk,Peach,Spices Champagne & Sparkling Wines Biscuit, Bread Dough, CitrusCreme Brulee, Fig, Grass, Hazelnut, Honey, Minerals, Pear, Toast, Walnut. Port Alcohol, Anise, Berry, BrownSugar, Caramel, DarkChocolate, Smoke, Nutmeg, Plum, Roasted Nuts, Toffee, Vanilla. Merlot Blackberry, Cassis, Cherry, Chocolate, Coffee, Herbs, Leather, Mocha, Oak, Plum, Spices, Toast Cabernet Sauvignon Anise, BlackCherry, Blackberry, Cassis, Cedar, Currant, Eucalyptus, Herbs, Leather, Mint, Oak, Olive, Plum, Spices, Tar, Tobacco Other Interesting Reds Pinot Noir Berries, Cherry, Chocolate, Leather, Rose, Tobacco Sangiovese Anise, Cherry, Earth, Mocha, Raspberry, Tea Tempranillo Cassis, Cherry, Plum, Spices, Tobacco, Vanilla Cabernet / Merlot Blends Bordeaux-Styled Anise, Berries, Cherry, Currant, Herbs, Spices Syrah / Shiraz Pepper, Melted Asphalt, Rose
The four Constants in Analyzing Any Wine
Appearance Look at it	Bouquet Smell it	Taste Taste it	Aftertaste Think about it
Appearance: We look at a wine’s appearance to see what it can tell us. After pouring into a glass we first examine its color. With the glass 1/3 full and holding it by the stem looks at it before a white background. Assuming a red wine, is it "deep" or "light". Can we see through it or is it so concentrated that it is opaque. Is it "clear" or "cloudy?" Discuss the meaning of these terms and how they reflect on the expectations we develop for the wine being analyzed. Bouquet: Next one’s nose it brought into the glass and close to the wine and a deep "sniff" taken. Here the adjectives of a lifetime come into play in describing what one experiences. Relate the bouquet of the wine to everyday items in your environment. Different grape varieties will have distinctive characteristics and exposure to these will expand your wine vocabulary. Flaws in a wine’s bouquet will most certainly carry over into its taste. Its treatment, both good and bad, will be revealed for the first time here. Taste: Next is the taste of the wine. It is brought into the mouth and mixed aggressively with air in order to bring out all of its flavor characteristics. Let the wine cover the entire inside of your mouth so that all of your taste centers can come into play. The palate perceives but four tastes: Sweet, Sour, Bitter and Salty. Sweetness is perceived on the tip of the tongue. Sour and bitter are mostly in the middle of the tongue and its sides. Saltly is not a characteristic found very often in wine. If it is, it is not a positive attribute. Aftertaste: The sensation that remains in the mouth after swallowing or at a professional tasting expectoring wine, also known as the finish.