Aroma

Aroma is a collective term for everything you experience with your nose when you drink wine. It comes from volatile compounds in the wine, that is, scents that evaporate from the glass and reach your sense of smell. There are several hundred of these aromatic compounds, and even though many of them appear in very small amounts, it is precisely the balance and interplay between them that gives each wine its personal expression. Some of the compounds are so powerful that a tiny amount is enough to leave its mark, while others are only noticeable if they are present in abundance.

The aromas come from several sources. Some are tied to the grape variety itself, and these are the ones that allow you to recognise, for example, the fresh, tropical scent in Sauvignon Blanc or the floral notes in Muscat. Other scents arise during fermentation, where the yeast forms among other things fruity esters, and still more develop slowly while the wine ages in barrel or bottle and takes on more complex, mature nuances.

Note the difference between aroma and taste. Aroma is about what you smell, while taste is sensed on the tongue. In practice they merge into the wine's overall impression. A good way to discover the aromas is to swirl the glass gently so the scents are released, and to sniff calmly before you taste.