Step 2 – Nosing the Wine
Step two in learning to appreciate wine — why the nose is the most powerful tool at the table, what faults to look out for, and how to read what the aromas are telling you.
Why the Nose Matters
It's often said that smelling the wine is the most important aspect of assessing it. To get the best out of your wine, swirl it around the glass first to allow the aromas and character to open up.
Looking for Faults
What you're looking for first are faults. Cork taint makes a wine smell of musty, wet cardboard. To clarify: cork pieces in the wine are not a sign of a corked wine — simply pick them out, as they're caused by poor opening technique. Other faults include excessive sulphur dioxide, which gives off a burnt-match smell, often found in cheap white wines where it's been overused as a preservative.
Reading the Aromas
Next, consider the intensity and character of the aromas. Do you have to concentrate hard to detect anything? Or does it leap out of the glass? Are you getting fresh fruits, dried fruits, herbaceous notes, something earthy? If you're tasting blind, all these elements help you analyse the grape variety and the wine's age. Fresher fruit often signals a younger wine; dried fruit suggests it's moving into maturity.
Your nose can apparently distinguish between 10,000 different smells. The organ responsible sits in the upper nasal cavity — in normal breathing, air doesn't reach it. A proper, deliberate sniff opens it up. So get your nose right into your next glass, and take notes if you want to build your memory for aromas. It might feel geeky, but it really helps.