You are watching Jeopardy and thinking about how easy it would be for you to win any wine category because not only do you love wine, but you drink a lot of it! Well, have you ever thought about wine aroma and where it comes from? We are going to get you ready to win the wine aroma category:
A Short Background:
Aromas in wine come from the grape, winemaking and aging. There are three categories of aroma: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary.
Primary aromas are derived from the grape and fermentation process and include fruit and floral aromas. Sometimes spices, herbs and other natural elements existing near the vineyard may have an impact on the aroma of the wine.
Secondary aromas are derived from winemaking techniques. Examples include malolactic conversion and lees stirring or aging. Also having an impact is maturation and the vessel used such as stainless steel, cement tank, neutral oak and new oak.
Tertiary aromas develop over time as the wine ages in the bottle. Tertiary aromas are indicative of more complex wines with notes of earthy, floral, and nutty notes. Examples of tertiary aromas include leather, dried fruits, petrol, honey and mushroom.
