Ep 409: Wine Aromas Explained

01/13/22 • 36 min

1 Listener

Photo: Pixabay

Note: I recorded this right before I got sick so I sound a little 'throaty' but I hope you'll enjoy the show nonetheless!

For the first show of 2022, we start out with a dorky one and answer the question:

Where does aroma come from and are the things people describe in wine like roses, smoke, and pepper real or total BS?

We take the questions head on and give some answers that may surprise you! Enjoy and thanks for your continued support of the show and all we do!

Here are the show notes:

We start with the basic, defining aroma, as I do in the Wine for Normal People book: The smells unique to the grape variety, demonstrated in a varietal wine in its youth.

We discuss perception, wine tasting, and then I review some very cool findings from this article, “Aroma Compounds in Wine” By Fengmei Zhu, Bin Du and Jun Li, Published: October 19th 2016

"File:Head Olfactory Nerve Labeled.png" by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator is licensed under CC BY 2.5

At a high level we talk about aromas from the grape, from yeast and enzymes, from amino acids, and those from malolactic fermentation. We talk about the effects of weather and soil briefly as well.

Then we go through the laundry list of compounds in wine, and what each brings to the aroma, bouquet, and flavor:

Terpenes: In grape skins also in fruits, flowers, leaves of some plants. Big component of aromatic whites – Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Riesling. Includes:

Linalool: When in contact with other things in the wine, makes lavender, orange blossom, lily, bay leaf notes
Geraniol: Rose petal smell
Nerol and citronellol:Floral, citrus notes, also in flowers and fruit
Limonene and citral: Found in citrus peel
Hotrienol: Elderflower, gooseberry
1,8-cineole and alpha-pinene:Eucalyptus, garrigue (airborne and can cling to the skin of grapes)

Rotundone: In skins, aroma of peppercorns, particularly white pepper

Photo: Pixabay

Aldehydes:

Hexanal and hexenal: Fresh cut grass, tomato leaf
Vanillin:Vanilla beans, vanilla
Benzaldehyde:Bitter almond or marzipan in Italian white wines
Furfural: Dried wood, caramel, oak

Pyrazines/ Methoxypyrazines:

Green bell pepper, herbaceous notes

Esters: Created by reactions between alcohols and acids

Primary fruit aromas like apple, orange, citrus, banana, pear

Photo: Pixabay

Ketones and diketones:

Beta-ionone: Violets, dark flowers
Diacetyl: Butter, creaminess in wine - byproduct of malolactic fermentation. When combined with new American oak with its vanilla- nut notes - like buttered popcorn

Thiols/Mercaptans: Volatile sulfur compounds in grapes, released by fermentation (when bad – like garlic or onion!)

3MH (3-mercaptohexan-1-ol):Passion fruit
3MHA (3-mercaptohexyl acetate):Guava and gooseberry
4MMP (4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one): Blackcurrant (Cab)

Lactones

Sotolon:Sauternes, Madeira -- either Botrytis or age has an effect here - spice, nuts, maple syrup
Octalactone: Coconut notes

Phenols are derived from oak aging:

Guaiacol: Smoke, roasted, toasty notes
Eugenol: Clove

Other common wine aroma compounds

TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene): Petrol or kerosene in Riesling
Noriosoprenoids: Spice, raspberry, rose, vanilla

Photo: Pixabay

What's the point of this show? Forget all the technical terms and just know: what you are tasting and smelling is based on something REAL -- not some nonsense made up by wine snobs. There is a legitimate reason for why wine smells the way it does!

_____________________________________________

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

_______________________________...

Photo: Pixabay

Note: I recorded this right before I got sick so I sound a little 'throaty' but I hope you'll enjoy the show nonetheless!

For the first show of 2022, we start out with a dorky one and answer the question:

Where does aroma come from and are the things people describe in wine like roses, smoke, and pepper real or total BS?

We take the questions head on and give some answers that may surprise you! Enjoy and thanks for your continued support of the show and all we do!

Here are the show notes:

We start with the basic, defining aroma, as I do in the Wine for Normal People book: The smells unique to the grape variety, demonstrated in a varietal wine in its youth.

We discuss perception, wine tasting, and then I review some very cool findings from this article, “Aroma Compounds in Wine” By Fengmei Zhu, Bin Du and Jun Li, Published: October 19th 2016

"File:Head Olfactory Nerve Labeled.png" by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator is licensed under CC BY 2.5

At a high level we talk about aromas from the grape, from yeast and enzymes, from amino acids, and those from malolactic fermentation. We talk about the effects of weather and soil briefly as well.

Then we go through the laundry list of compounds in wine, and what each brings to the aroma, bouquet, and flavor:

Terpenes: In grape skins also in fruits, flowers, leaves of some plants. Big component of aromatic whites – Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Riesling. Includes:

Linalool: When in contact with other things in the wine, makes lavender, orange blossom, lily, bay leaf notes
Geraniol: Rose petal smell
Nerol and citronellol:Floral, citrus notes, also in flowers and fruit
Limonene and citral: Found in citrus peel
Hotrienol: Elderflower, gooseberry
1,8-cineole and alpha-pinene:Eucalyptus, garrigue (airborne and can cling to the skin of grapes)

Rotundone: In skins, aroma of peppercorns, particularly white pepper

Photo: Pixabay

Aldehydes:

Hexanal and hexenal: Fresh cut grass, tomato leaf
Vanillin:Vanilla beans, vanilla
Benzaldehyde:Bitter almond or marzipan in Italian white wines
Furfural: Dried wood, caramel, oak

Pyrazines/ Methoxypyrazines:

Green bell pepper, herbaceous notes

Esters: Created by reactions between alcohols and acids

Primary fruit aromas like apple, orange, citrus, banana, pear

Photo: Pixabay

Ketones and diketones:

Beta-ionone: Violets, dark flowers
Diacetyl: Butter, creaminess in wine - byproduct of malolactic fermentation. When combined with new American oak with its vanilla- nut notes - like buttered popcorn

Thiols/Mercaptans: Volatile sulfur compounds in grapes, released by fermentation (when bad – like garlic or onion!)

3MH (3-mercaptohexan-1-ol):Passion fruit
3MHA (3-mercaptohexyl acetate):Guava and gooseberry
4MMP (4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one): Blackcurrant (Cab)

Lactones

Sotolon:Sauternes, Madeira -- either Botrytis or age has an effect here - spice, nuts, maple syrup
Octalactone: Coconut notes

Phenols are derived from oak aging:

Guaiacol: Smoke, roasted, toasty notes
Eugenol: Clove

Other common wine aroma compounds

TDN (1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene): Petrol or kerosene in Riesling
Noriosoprenoids: Spice, raspberry, rose, vanilla

Photo: Pixabay

_____________________________________________

If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

_______________________________...

Previous Episode

Ep 408: Beaumes de Venise - the Historic, High Elevation Cru of the Southern Côtes du Rhône, The Producers' Perspective

In educational partnership with

Beaumes de Venise is a small, beautiful village located in the southern Rhône Valley. It has a great history of quality and recognition for both its red wines, which are classified under the Côtes de Rhône Beaumes de Venise Cru, and its famed Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Cru, a vin doux naturel wine which is known for its exquisite flavors, elegance, and unrivaled balance. In this episode, we explore this historic region that has been making wine for more than 2600 years - the terroir, climate, wines, grapes, and where the name comes from as well (hint: not from a place with many waterways in Italy!).

Photo courtesy of Beaumes de Venise

Getting a firsthand account from the experts who work in the region every day is the best way to learn so for this show we have two ambassadors for Beaumes de Venise, Claude Chabran of the high-quality Rhonéa co-operative, and Florence Cartier of the family-owned estate Domaine les Goubert. Each has a unique perspective and shares fascinating information about the realities of making wine – both red and vin doux naturel -- in this marvelous region, which is really unlike any other in the Rhône.

Photo: Claude Chabran of the high-quality Rhonéa co-operative, right

In this show you’ll learn about:

Where Beaumes de Venise is located within the southern Côtes du Rhône, the size of the region and the importance of the unbelievable geological structures of the Dentelles de Montmirail
The terroir including the high elevation and steep slopes, the importance of the orientation of the slopes, proximity to other well-known cru, and the distinct soil types that affect the flavor of the grapes and how they are farmed
The trends toward organic farming in Beaumes de Venise

Photo: Florence Cartier of the family-owned estate Domaine les Goubert

The historical significance of Beaumes de Venise wine
The Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that grow here and how each reacts to different conditions, as well as some of the blending grapes that play a big part here (Florence mentions Cinsault as a favorite!).
We discuss the flavor profile of red Beaumes de Venise Cru and how its freshness and bright fruit make it stand out among the crus of the Côtes du Rhône
The Muscat de Beaumes de Venise appellation -- how is it made, what makes it special, and why it continues to have the reputation as the finest Muscat-based vin doux naturel
Claude Chabran tell us about the collegial structure of the Rhonéa cooperative, how they ensure quality, and the innovations they have pursued for their small growers

We end with information about what food pairings that work well with both the red Beaumes de Venise Cru and the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise appellation (don’t forget spicy food for Muscat!) and how best to visit this lovely, historic region.

Thank you to the appellations of Beaumes de Venise for the educational partnership and financial support for this show and for teaching us about this appellation, full of history, excellent wine, and passionate producers!

For more information please visit the Beaumes de Venise site.

This podcast and post are part of a paid partnership with AOC Beaumes de Venise.

Get the back catalog on Patreon!

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Next Episode

Ep 410: Cahors, France -- the Malbec Capital of the Old World

Cahors is the best-known appellation in Southwest France, likely because the wine of the region is based off a grape everyone knows: Malbec.

Source: https://vindecahors.fr/

Made around the town of Cahors, 160km/100 mi east of Bordeaux, this region hugs the river Lot, and stretches over slopes with such varied soil, each wine is a story of terroir in a bottle. The unique land, combined with an ideal climate, and a history of winemaking that goes back to the Romans contributes to the special combination that creates this earthy, dark fruited, herbal, and powerful red. If you haven’t tried this Old World style of Malbec, after this show, you will be excited to see what you may be missing!

Here are the show notes:

Here Malbec is AKA -- Auxerrois, Côt (COE). It must be 70% of the blend – the balance is made up with Merlot, or less commonly Tannat. Any white or rosé made in the region is categorized IGP Côtes du Lot
The planted vineyard area is 3,323 ha/8,211 acres but it stretches across 21,700 hectares/53,622 acres over 45 communes along a section of the River Lot around the town of Cahors
Most of the winemakers here are independent, private wineries (75%) with just 25% members of the co-op, an impressive breakdown in a smaller region! 75% of the winemakers are working sustainably, with 31% converting to organic or already certified organic.
The climate of Cahors represents a combination of influences, as the region is about the same distance from Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pyrenees Mountains. The summers are hot, the fall is dry, and the lack of rain means the roots dig deep to look for nutrients, giving more character to the wine. The Massif Central to the east occasionally blows cold air in the winter, which can cause deep freezes (we go into the endo and eco dormancy, very dorky!).

Source: Getty Images via Canva

The terroir of Cahors is, to me, the most interesting thing about the area. Most vineyards lie in terraces that are carved out by the river Lot. We discuss the two main areas – the Lot Valley alluvial terraces and the limestone plateau known as the Causses. The Lot Valley, representing 60% of the wine made, has several terraces with gravelly, sandy deposits that range in age from 20,000 years old to 1 million years old. These wines tend to be fruitier, more floral, and lighter in style. The Causses is at elevation and represents slopes covered in clay, limestone, and marl with red, iron-rich soils in some spots. They represent ~ 40% of the vineyard and these wines are more tannic, complex, and age worthy.
Styles of Cahors: Given the varied terroir, some styles are fruitier and some are earthier. Many have flavors and aromas of fruits and flowers, spice, herbs, and cedar, with underbrush and licorice. They can be dark in color and higher in alcohol. Some are quite tannic, especially those with Tannat as a component. Softer versions have a bigger component of Merlot.
We end the podcast with a comparison of Argentinean Malbec, noting that Argentina’s Malbec is fruitier, more plummy with soft tannins, higher alcohol, and fine to drink on its own because of its easy to drink profile. Cahors, on the other hand is more tannic, earthier, with more acidity, and may pair better with food because the tannins are firmer, acidity higher.

Source: Getty Images via Canva

If you’ve never tried Cahors, hopefully this will convince you to get a bottle and see what the Malbec of the Old World has to offer!

Much of the information for this podcast is from: https://vindecahors.fr/

________________________________________________________________

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If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes!

www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: ...