Importance of Smelling Wine Before You Taste

When sipping wine, you won’t fully appreciate what you’re experiencing without first considering the aromas. Why? Because  the sense of smell is closely linked to how our brains process taste.

Before tasting a wine, swirl your glass, take a serious sniff, and think about what you’re smelling. To a certain degree, what you perceive is subjective. But with whites, you may notice pineapples, mangoes, apples, bananas, pears, lemons, lemongrass, herbs, flowers. With reds, you may detect black or red cherries, strawberries, plums, cranberries, tobacco, herbs, flowers, smoke, pepper. With rosé, you may notice strawberries, watermelon, honeydew, peaches, flowers. 

By smelling first and reflecting, you’re prepping your brain for what you’re going to taste! Now sip. Some wines will mirror what you smelled in the glass. We are always surprised and heartened to note the differences and similarities. You’ll see how aromas and flavors evolve, often deepening, as they interact with oxygen.