WINE GUIDES · WOUTER PARENT
How to use a wine aroma wheel
An aroma wheel is a vocabulary aid. It helps you move from a broad impression to a more specific description. You do not need to find every aroma on the wheel, and a longer list does not make a tasting note more accurate.
Start broad
Ask whether the wine reminds you of fruit, flowers, herbs, spice, oak or something earthy. Then narrow the group down. Fruit might become citrus, and citrus might become lemon peel or grapefruit.
Keep your own references
Use smells you know from everyday life. Fresh apples, dried herbs and toasted bread are perfectly useful descriptions. If you cannot place an aroma, leave it broad and return to it after a minute.
Compare and learn
Smell two contrasting wines alongside each other. Explain what seems fresher, riper or more floral. Other people’s observations can help, but try smelling before anyone lists their answers. Write down a few clear impressions and revisit them with another sip.
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