| When you attend a wine tasting party, you might | | | | as what they smell when they drink it. |
| be surprised when people smell their wine and | | | | It can be difficult for you to place the aromas |
| then say things like, "old leather" or "tar on the | | | | that you smell when you first begin wine tasting. |
| road." If you were to compare any other food to | | | | You might get a whiff of a nuance aroma but |
| old leather or tar on the road, it would be insulting, | | | | before you can figure out what it reminds you of, |
| but with wine, it is all part of the language. | | | | the aroma is gone. To help people place the |
| When wine tasters say that a wine tastes like tar | | | | common aromas that people smell when they are |
| on the road, freshly mown grass or wet dog, | | | | wine tasting, the scholars at University of |
| they do not mean that there is an overpowering | | | | California, Davis, long ago came up with what |
| or even semi-strong smell of these elements in | | | | they call an aroma wheel. |
| the wine. The wine tasters that talk about | | | | The aroma wheel simply categorizes and names |
| smelling these aromas in wine mean that they get | | | | smells that you commonly smell in different |
| a hint of such aromas as undertones or nuances | | | | varietals. If you taste a wine and you recognize |
| mixed in with the fruity or flowery smells that are | | | | an aroma or a flavor, but you cannot pinpoint the |
| obvious aromas of wine. | | | | thing of which the aroma reminds you, you can |
| With the right combination of nuance odors | | | | look on the aroma wheel for common aromas |
| balanced with the initial aroma of the wine, you will | | | | that people find in the wine you are drinking and |
| have a wine that not only smells nice, but also | | | | you will probably see the aroma for which you |
| tastes nice. What you should remember about | | | | are searching your memory. |
| tasting is that a great deal of what people taste | | | | After all, who would sip a wine and think to him |
| depends upon what they smell. | | | | or herself, "yummy, this tastes like kerosene!" |
| Consider that the tongue has taste buds only for | | | | Especially if you like a wine, you do not jump in |
| salty, sweet, sour and bitter flavors. You have | | | | your mind to such answers. Yet, sometimes the |
| tasted many things that do not necessarily fit into | | | | wines that people enjoy drinking have nuances of |
| those categories, yet your tongue is incapable of | | | | flavors that those same people would not |
| tasting more. Your sense of smell makes up for | | | | normally enjoy. |
| what your tongue cannot taste, so about half of | | | | If you are interested in learning more about what |
| what you taste when you drink wine is actually, | | | | aromas people commonly find in wine, you should |
| what you smell. This is why wine tasters describe | | | | speak to your wine merchant about obtaining an |
| so much of their impression of how a wine tastes | | | | aroma wheel. |