Does wine actually contain spices, chocolate and flowers?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Does wine actually contain spices, chocolate and flowers? I’ve read that talking about those “notes” in a wine is just a way to describe how it smells and tastes, but I’m not sure.
—Anna, Moreno Valley, Calif.
Dear Anna,
I’m glad you asked—I get this question all the time. I think the way we talk about wine can be really confusing, and I’m sure a lot of other wine lovers have wondered the same thing.
When a tasting note mentions terms like “spices,” “chocolate,” “flowers” and other flavors seemingly unrelated to grapes, it doesn’t imply the inclusion of actual chocolate, spices or flowers in the wine—or berries, tobacco or even dirt! (The exception would be fruit wines, which are made from fruit other than grapes.)
Instead, using those words is an attempt to communicate the smell and taste of complex aromatic compounds known as esters that give the wine its character. Some of these flavor and aroma compounds are present in the grapes, and some of them are produced by yeast during fermentation or introduced during aging in oak barrels.
Because esters in wine are similar—and sometimes identical—to those found in various foods, sometimes wine tasters might actually be identifying and describing the same chemicals that cause, say, black pepper to smell peppery.
Even if a wine lover isn’t picking out specific chemical compounds, language is a funny thing. People talk about wine in a way that’s both familiar to them and part of a shared vocabulary for talking about wine. That vocabulary often includes metaphors and poetic expressions, and I think that’s a good thing—it lets people express what they’re tasting in a way that feels true to them. For example, saying the flavors “sing out” doesn’t imply that the wine is literally singing; it’s a figurative way to convey its effusiveness, freshness or energy. It might seem esoteric, but wine lovers are just geeking out about their passion and excitement for what’s in the glass.
It’s important to recognize that there’s no right or wrong way to taste or describe wine. Enjoying wine is a subjective experience, and people differ in how they recognize and articulate a wine’s qualities.
I’ll give you one of my favorite examples of how personal wine descriptors can be. I sometimes get a sassafras note in my wines—that’s very particular to me because I grew up with a sassafras tree in my backyard! Chewing on the stem of the sassafras leaves is a wonderful childhood memory. But I don’t expect many other people to have that same memory. Now, if I taste or smell something that reminds me of sassafras, I might describe the note as “sarsaparilla” or “root beer” or even a combination of licorice and spice.
—Dr. Vinny
