Aroma
Definition - What does Aroma mean?
In the context of wine tasting, aroma refers to the ability to detect the smells in a wine that are unique to the varietal or varietal used to produce the wine. Aroma and bouquet are often used interchangeably, however, aroma is the volatile compounds of the grape varietal and bouquet refers to scents introduced to the wine through reactions in the wine making process or aging.
WineFrog explains Aroma
When you are tasting wine, it is important to understand that the aroma of the wine is the direct result of the grapes used to make the wine, not the result of winemaking or aging. Aromas in wine are recognized volatile compounds. When we smell the aroma of a Cabernet Sauvignon, we can detect a herbal or grass-like aroma; this aroma is a characteristic of the grape. If we detect tobacco or leather aromas in the same wine, we are actually smelling the result of the complex reactions that occur when the phenolic compounds, sugars, acids and alcohol change and develop this bouquet as the wine ferments and ages.
