💡 Sips of Wisdom #3: On the Nose – Smelling Wine with Purpose

April 9, 2025

Ever heard someone say a wine smells like cherries, wet leaves, or even leather—and wondered if they were just showing off?

Good news: learning to smell wine isn’t about being fancy, it’s about being present. In this edition of Sips of Wisdom, we explore the second step in the Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine—The Nose—and how your sense of smell is the key to unlocking what’s in your glass.

👃 Step Two: Smell

Once you've had a good look at your wine, it’s time to swirl it gently and bring it to your nose. This is where the magic begins.

🌬 Intensity

Before naming aromas, take note of how powerful they are:

Light: You need to get close to detect anything.
Medium: Aromas are noticeable but not overwhelming.
Pronounced: The wine jumps out of the glass before you even get close.

This gives your first clue about the wine’s character, age, and quality.

🍇 Aroma Characteristics

Now, try to identify what you’re smelling. Don’t stress about naming exact notes—start broad, then narrow down. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

🟣 Primary Aromas – From the Grape

🍓 Fruit: Red berries, black fruit, citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit
🌸 Floral: Rose, violet, honeysuckle
🌿 Herbal or Green: Grass, bell pepper, tomato leaf

🔸 Secondary Aromas – From Winemaking

🥖 Yeasty: Bread, biscuit (common in sparkling wines)
🧈 Creamy or Buttery: From malolactic fermentation or oak
🌰 Nutty or Smoky: From oak aging (smoke, toast, roasted nuts)

🔶 Tertiary Aromas – From Age

🍄 Earthy: Mushroom, forest floor
🍇 Dried Fruit: Fig, raisin
👜 Leather, Tobacco, Spice: Aged wine complexity

A young Sauvignon Blanc might be bursting with passionfruit and freshly cut grass. A mature Rioja? Dried cherry, vanilla, and leather.

🚫 A Quick Word on Wine Faults

Sometimes what you smell isn’t just fruit, oak, or florals—it’s a sign something’s not quite right.

Your nose can help detect taints or faults in wine, like:

🧻 Cork Taint (TCA) – Damp cardboard, musty basement
🍏 Oxidation – Bruised or cooked apples, flat and dull aromas
🍷 Volatile Acidity – Vinegary or nail polish remover-like scent
🥚 Reduction – Rotten egg, burnt rubber, struck match

These aren't always deal-breakers (some can fade with decanting), but they’re worth being aware of—especially if something smells off. We will dive deeper into this down the track.

🧠 What Does It All Mean?

The nose of a wine can tell you:

Its age and complexity
Whether it’s been oaked or aged
Its grape variety or style
The potential quality of what you're about to sip

Even if you can’t name every note, the simple act of slowing down and smelling trains your palate and makes wine more enjoyable.

🏠 Try This at Home

Pour two wines—one young and fruit-forward, one older or oaked. Swirl, sniff, and compare:

Which one has stronger aromas?
Are the scents mostly fruity, or do you notice spice, oak, or earthiness?
Do the aromas match what you expect from the appearance?

🍷 Coming Up Next:

We’ll finally take a sip! In the next Sips of Wisdom, we’ll explore the Palate—what to focus on when you taste, and how to break down sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, and flavour.

Until then, stay curious. Sniff wisely 😉
— Wine Curious

Back to blog