by Angie Pollock

Created on: July 22, 2008   Last Updated: July 23, 2008

Smell that sweet aroma. Getting intimate with a glass of wine can be appreciated by more than just the wine connoisseur. Even a wine novice can recognize the power that this liquid creates on the senses. The act of smelling wine is usually done after the swirl and prior to the first sip.

There are as many wine experts with an opinion about wine smelling as there are types of wines. So how do you smell the wine? There are two commonly used practices-the long, deep inhale and the rapid, brief sniffs. The nose will register a scent, lose that scent and then go looking for something else. This is how the olfactory sense is created so that each time you smell the wine, the aromas can change dramatically.

This process is much like anything that we smell in our environment. We think we smell smoke and then we don't, only to later smell it again. This same course happens with wine smelling. Pause between sniffs to compensate for the nose searching for certain aromas. A tip you can employ is to have ground coffee on hand. Smell the wine, then the coffee and back to the wine.

So what are you sniffing for anyway? Whether you are an authority on wine or just learning, wine should be smelled prior to drinking to detect if it has gone bad. A vinegary smell can indicate that the wine has soured. A rotten-egg odor means something has gone wrong with the sulfur content while a musty, cardboard odor means cork taint. If any of these offensive odors exist, do not drink the wine.

Smelling a wine can also give a preview of what is to come next-the taste. Wine can have aromas other than fruit and flowers. The descriptive natures such as sweet, sour, bitter and salty are also used to describe the aroma. The winemaking technique can dramatically affect the aroma. By experimenting with the smell and then the taste, you can begin to learn which wines you automatically prefer just by the aroma.

Every wine has an aroma, not every wine can be connected with the term "bouquet". "Bouquet" is reserved for wines of age or a "mature" wine which develops after many years in the bottle. You may detect pleasant aromas in a wine while someone else may perceive odors of tobacco, pine needles or even saddle leather. Many times these other odors are nothing more than the power of suggestion. Someone can propose that they can smell gasoline in the wine and sure enough, the more you sniff, the odor of fuel comes through. It is best to not let those suggestions enter your mind; rather use your own power of perception to pick up on what you are trying to pinpoint in the aroma.

Don't be surprised if the smell of the wine doesn't match the taste. Many times a powerful aroma can lead to an indistinct flavor (or vice versa). Whether it is pricey Chardonnay or an inexpensive red wine, take a moment to sniff the aroma. The process will confirm if the wine is appropriate for drinking. Taking an extra sniff can lead you on a journey of wine appreciation.

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