Aroma of wine

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Smelling is an important part of wine tasting; it is thought that much of perceived taste is due to olfactory receptors at the back of the nasal cavity.

The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. The

aging of the wine.[2]

Aroma vs. bouquet

A common aroma associated with the grape variety Gewürztraminer is that of lychee fruit.

In professional wine tasting, there is generally a distinction made between "aromas" and a wine's "bouquet" while in casual wine tasting these two terms are used interchangeably. An aroma refers to the smells unique to the

truffles in a Pinot noir. The term bouquet can also be expanded to include the smells derived from fermentation and exposure to oak. In Burgundy, the aromas of wines are sub-divided into three categories – primary, secondary and tertiary aromas. Primary aromas are those specific to the grape variety itself. Secondary aromas are those derived from fermentation. Tertiary aromas are those that develop through either bottle or oak aging.[2]

The technique of microoxygenation affects the aromatic bouquet.[3]

Components of a wine's aroma

Within wine there are

procreation by attracting insects to assist with pollination and birds and other animals to eat the berries and disperse the seeds. The diverse spectrum of aromas associated with individual grape varieties is a reflection of the vine's adaptation to ecological conditions and competition among other plants.[4]

It is theorized that the grapevine developed aroma compounds as an evolutionary advancement to attract insects and animals to assist in pollination and dispersion of seeds.

The majority of volatile compounds responsible for aroma combine with

chromatograph – mass spectrometers to identify volatile aroma compounds in various grape varieties.[4]

Study of the compounds responsible for aroma and flavour, as well as their correlation with a wine's quality, continues. As understanding of these compounds grows, there is concern that wines in the future could be "manipulated" through the use of chemical additives to add complexity and additional aromas to wine (such as creating a manufactured

canopy management may contribute to developing desirable aromatics in the wine.[4]

Identified aroma compounds

Some of the identified aroma compounds include the following:[4]

Esters

Some of the aromas perceived in wine are from

catalyst in the formation of esters from acids and alcohols present in the wine. However, at the same time these hydrogen ions encourage esters to also split apart back into acids and alcohols. These two counterbalancing acts gradually inch a wine closer to a state of equilibrium where there is equal parts alcohol, acids, esters and water (a by product of the reactions). During this period the ester influenced bouquet of the wine is constantly changing due to the concentration, formulation and splitting of different esters. This is partly the reason why a wine will have one set of aromas at one time and other aromas later in its life.[7]

In wine tasting

See also: wine tasting

The sense of smell and detecting the aromas in wine is the primary means through which wine is tasted and evaluated. Prior to tasting the wine, wine drinkers will often smell the wine in the glass.[8] Large bowl glasses with tapered openings, some of which are specifically designed to enhance aromatics of different wines, can assist in capturing more aromatics within the glass for the drinker to detect. Wines served at warmer temperature will be more aromatic than wine served cooler due to heat's ability to increase the volatility of aromatic compounds in the wine. Swirling, or aerating, the wine will increase available surface area, increasing the rate at which aroma molecules volatilize. Some subtle aromatics can be overwhelmed by more dominant aromatics that arise after swirling, so most professional tasters will sniff the wine briefly first before swirling. The closer the nose is to the wine, even right inside the glass, the greater chances of aromatics being captured. A series of short, quick sniffs versus one long inhale will also maximize the likelihood of aromatics being detected. The human nose starts to "fatigue" after around six seconds and so a pause may be needed between sniffs.[5]

When wine is sipped, it is warmed in the mouth and mixes with

aroma wheel, developed by Ann C. Noble of University of California, Davis) until one choice stands out and can be identified in the wine.[5]

Detecting an aroma is only part of wine tasting. The next step is to describe or communicate what that aroma is and it is in this step that the subjective nature of wine tasting appears. Different individuals have their own way of describing familiar scents and aromas based on their unique experiences. Furthermore, there are varying levels of sensitivity and recognition thresholds among humans of some aromatic compounds. This is why one taster may describe different aromas and flavours from another taster sampling the very same wine.[8]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  3. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2009.11.049
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  5. ^
    ISBN 1-56305-434-5
  6. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2009.01.008
  7. ISBN 0-19-860990-6
  8. ^
    ISBN 0-7566-1324-8
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